CN111600686B - Communication method and device - Google Patents

Communication method and device Download PDF

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Publication number
CN111600686B
CN111600686B CN201910104129.XA CN201910104129A CN111600686B CN 111600686 B CN111600686 B CN 111600686B CN 201910104129 A CN201910104129 A CN 201910104129A CN 111600686 B CN111600686 B CN 111600686B
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network device
positioning
message
terminal device
access network
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CN111600686A (en
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陈磊
李秉肇
许斌
王奇
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Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
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Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
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Priority to PCT/CN2020/073928 priority patent/WO2020156470A1/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L5/00—Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
    • H04L5/003—Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
    • H04L5/0053—Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L5/00—Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W24/00—Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
    • H04W24/10—Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W64/00—Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

In the method, when a positioning system supports both a centralized positioning function and a distributed positioning function, after a positioning server for positioning a terminal device is determined, first indication information can be sent to the terminal device, and the type of a first message sent by the terminal device is indicated through the first indication information. For example, when the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the core network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device. When the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, so that cooperation of a distributed positioning function and a centralized positioning service may be achieved through the first indication information.

Description

Communication method and device
Technical Field
The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus.
Background
In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC) provides a location service for a terminal device. For example, the E-SMLC may use an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) positioning scheme, and calculate the location of the terminal device according to the pre-stored geographical location information of each measurement cell and the measurement result reported by the terminal device (e.g., a Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) corresponding to each measurement cell, which is obtained by measuring each reference signal corresponding to each measurement cell by the terminal device).
Since the E-SMLC is located in the core network, when reporting information such as measurement results, the terminal device first needs to send the information such as measurement results to the base station, and then the base station forwards the information such as measurement results to the E-SMLC.
The forwarding process of the information such as the measurement result may bring delay overhead, how to reduce the delay in the positioning process is one of the positioning performances that needs to be considered in the next generation communication system, for example, the New Radio (NR) system of the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th generation mobile networks or 5th generation wireless systems, 5G). At present, one possible way to reduce the time delay consideration is to adopt a distributed scheme, that is, to place the location service function at the location of the base station, and reduce the time delay caused by transmission, thereby reducing the location time delay. However, 5G still considers a centralized positioning architecture, and therefore, there may be a problem of coordination of centralized and distributed structures. Currently, there is a lack of research and corresponding solutions for the coordination of distributed location functions and centralized location services.
Disclosure of Invention
The application provides a communication method and device, which are used for realizing the cooperation of a distributed positioning function and a centralized positioning service.
In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, in which a network side device (for example, a device in an access network or a device in a core network) first sends first indication information to a terminal device, and indicates, by the first indication information, a type of a first message sent by the terminal device, where the first message is used by a network element with a positioning function in the core network or a network element with a positioning function in the access network to determine a location of the terminal device, and the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device or a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, and then the terminal device sends the first message to the first network device after determining the type of the first message according to the first indication information.
In the above technical solution, the location server for determining the location of the terminal device may be a network element having a location function in a core network, for example, may be an LMF, and may also be a network element having a location function in an access network, for example, an access network device having a location function.
In this case, when the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the core network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device. When the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device.
Then, after determining the type of the first message according to the first indication information, the terminal device sends the first message to the first network device. If the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the first network device, the first network device may directly determine the location of the terminal device according to the first message, so that the first message may not be forwarded, and the delay overhead caused by the forwarding process may be reduced. And the cooperation of the distributed positioning function and the centralized positioning service can be realized through the first indication information.
In one possible design, the terminal device determines the type of the first message according to the type indicated in the first indication information; or the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the type of the first indication information.
In the above technical solution, the terminal device may determine the type of the first message in multiple ways, which may improve the flexibility of the terminal device.
In a possible design, if the type indicated in the first indication information is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
If the type indicated in the first indication information is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In the above technical solution, the terminal device may analyze the first indication information after receiving the first indication information, and determine the type of the first message according to the content indicated in the first indication information, so that the implementation manner is simple.
In a possible design, if the first indication information is a message that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
if the first indication information is a message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In the above technical solution, the terminal device may determine the type of the first message according to the type of the first indication information, so that the terminal device does not need to analyze the first indication information, and the processing complexity of the terminal device may be reduced.
In one possible design, the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be recognized by the access network device, and the first message includes an identifier of the positioning server and/or an identifier of a cell supported by the positioning server.
In the foregoing technical solution, when the terminal device sends the first message, because the first network device may not know a positioning server for positioning the terminal device, for example, the positioning server may be a network element having a positioning function in an access network, for example, an access network device, the terminal device may indicate the positioning server to the first network device in the first message so as to ensure that the positioning server can receive the first message, where the positioning server is an identity of the access network device and/or an identity of a cell supported by the access network device.
In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, in which a first network device first acquires second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that a positioning server that positions a terminal device is a network element with a positioning function in a core network or a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and then, when the first network device receives a first message that is used for the positioning server to determine a location of the terminal device from the terminal device, the first network device determines to process the first message or forward the first message according to the second indication information.
In the foregoing technical solution, when the second indication information indicates that the location server is a network element with a location function in a core network, the first network device may forward the first message to the location server after receiving the first message. When the second indication information indicates that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, the first network device may determine the position of the terminal device directly according to the first message after receiving the first message, so that the first message may not be forwarded, and the time delay overhead caused by the forwarding process may be reduced. And the cooperation of the distributed positioning function and the centralized positioning service can be realized through the second indication information.
In one possible design, the first network device may obtain the second indication information from configuration information; or, the first network device receives the second indication information from a second network device; alternatively, the second indication information is predefined.
In the above technical solution, the first network device may obtain the second indication information in multiple ways, so that the flexibility of the first network device may be improved.
In one possible design, when the second indication information is a type of message that can be recognized by the access network device, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information:
An identification of a location server; or the like, or, alternatively,
an identity of a cell supported by the positioning server; or the like, or, alternatively,
identification of core network devices interacting with the location server.
In the above technical solution, the second indication information may carry any one of the above information to indicate that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in a core network or a network element with a positioning function in an access network, so that flexibility of the positioning system may be increased.
In one possible design, after receiving the second indication information, the first network device may determine the location server according to the second indication information.
In the above technical solution, after the first network device determines the location server, the first message sent by the terminal device and used for determining the location of the terminal device may be processed accordingly, so as to ensure that the location function is implemented.
In one possible design, the first network device may determine the location server in a variety of ways, which may specifically include, but is not limited to, the following:
if the identifier of the positioning server included in the second indication information is the identifier of the first network device, the first network device determines that the positioning server is the first network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
If the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the first network device, the first network device determines that the positioning server is the first network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
if the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the first network device, and the identifier of the positioning server is different from the identifier of the network element with the positioning function in the core network, the first network device determines that the positioning server is the network element with the positioning function in the access network except the first network device, and the identifier of the network element with the positioning function in the access network except the first network device is the same as the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
if the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the cell supported by the first network device, the first network device determines that the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the access network except the first network device, and the identifier of the cell supported by the network element having the positioning function in the access network except the first network device is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
If the identifier of the positioning server included in the second indication information is the identifier of a network element with a positioning function in a core network, the first network device determines that the positioning server is the network element with the positioning function in the core network; or the like, or, alternatively,
and if the second indication information comprises the identifier of the core network equipment interacting with the positioning server, the first network equipment determines that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network.
In a possible design, when the first network device determines that the positioning server is the first network device according to the second indication information, the first network device positions the terminal device according to the first message after receiving the first message; or the like, or, alternatively,
and when the first network equipment determines that the positioning server is not the first network equipment according to the second indication information, the first network equipment forwards the first message to the positioning server after receiving the first message.
In the above technical solution, after the first network device determines the location server according to the second indication information, the first message may be processed differently, so that the flexibility of the first network device may be increased.
In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, in which a first network device sends a first request message to a second network device, the first request message is used to request that a serving base station of a terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, the first request message further includes a positioning service switching indication, the positioning service switching indication is used to indicate that the terminal device is performing a positioning service, and the positioning service of the terminal device is requested to be switched to the second network device.
And after the second network equipment receives the second indication information, sending a first response message corresponding to the first request message to the first network equipment, and receiving the first response message by the first network equipment.
In the above technical solution, when the terminal device is in the mobile state, the first network device providing services for the terminal device may implement switching of the location service of the terminal device through interaction with the second network device (for example, a network element with a location function in an access network or a network element with a location function in a core network), so as to maintain continuity of the location service of the terminal device in the mobile state.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating a third network device to position the terminal device, wherein the third network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network and a core network except the first network device and the second network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is refused to be positioned by using the network equipment except the first network equipment.
In the above technical solution, the second network device may respond to the first request message according to an actual situation, so that flexibility of the positioning system may be improved.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device, and the location context information is used for the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network equipment for positioning the terminal equipment;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
the first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In the above technical solution, after receiving the first request message sent by the first network device, the second network device may determine the content in the first response message according to various information carried in the first request message, so as to improve the accuracy when the second network device determines the content of the first response message.
In one possible design, after receiving the first response message, the first network device may forward the first response message to the terminal device.
In the above technical solution, the first network device may send the first response message or the information related to positioning in the first response message to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can timely know the positioning server for positioning the terminal device.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device locates the terminal device, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In the above technical solution, information used for positioning by each network device may be different, and therefore, when the positioning server is switched, the new positioning server may use the auxiliary information for positioning to be carried in the first response message, so that, after the first network device forwards the first response message to the terminal device, the terminal device can accurately report the information used for positioning, which is required by the positioning server.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network, except for the first network device, and the first network device may send a second request message to the second network device, and obtain capability information of the second network device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device.
After receiving the second request message, the second network device sends a second response message including the capability information of the second network device to the first network device, so that the first network device determines whether to request the second network device to locate the terminal device according to the second response message.
In the above technical solution, after acquiring the capability information of the second network device, the first network device may determine whether to request the second network device to locate the terminal device according to the capability information of the second network device, for example, when the capability information of the second network device indicates that the second network device can meet the location requirement of the terminal device, the first network device sends the first request message to the second network device, which may ensure that the location server after the handover can also provide the location service meeting the requirement of the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network except the first network device, and after receiving the first request message, the second network device may send a third request message to the network element having the positioning function in the core network, where the third request message is used for determining, by the network element having the positioning function in the core network, whether the second network device agrees to position the terminal device;
Then, the network element with the positioning function in the core network sends a third response message to the second network device, and indicates whether the network element agrees to the result of positioning the terminal device by the second network device through the third response message.
And the second network equipment generates a first response message according to the third response message.
In the above technical solution, the second network device may query, through the third request message, the network element with the positioning function in the core network whether the network element agrees with the switching of the positioning service, so that the network element with the positioning function in the core network authenticates the switching of the positioning service.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
and the identifier of the server cell where the terminal equipment is located.
In the above technical solution, the second network device may indicate the switching of the positioning service to a network element having a positioning function in the core network according to a plurality of information, so that the flexibility of the second network device may be improved.
In a possible design, the second network device may be a network element having a positioning function in the core network, in which case the second network device may send a fourth request message to the third network device, and instruct the third network device to position the terminal device through the fourth request message.
The third network device may then send a fourth response message to the second network device indicating whether the terminal device is agreed to be located, whereby the second network device generates the first response message from the fourth response message.
In the above technical solution, when the second network device determines to use the third network device to locate the terminal device, the second network device may send an inquiry request to the third network device to determine whether the second network device can receive the location service, so as to ensure a success rate of switching the location service.
In one possible design, the fourth request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
an identity of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located.
In the above technical solution, the second network device may indicate the switching of the location service to the third network device according to a plurality of information, which may improve the flexibility of the second network device.
In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, in which a first network device sends a first request message to a second network device, where the first request message includes a positioning service handover indication, and the positioning service handover indication is used to indicate that a terminal device being handed over is performing a positioning service process, and the second network device may determine whether to receive the positioning service according to an actual situation, so as to send a first response message corresponding to the first request message to the first network device according to a determination result.
In the foregoing technical solution, when the terminal device is in a mobile state, the first network device providing services for the terminal device may interact with the second network device (for example, a network element with a positioning function in an access network or a network element with a positioning function in a core network) through the positioning service switching indication, and determine whether to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device, so as to maintain the continuity of the positioning service of the terminal device in the mobile state.
In one possible design, the first request message further includes a location service indication indicating whether the terminal device is located using the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following four ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to refuse to position the terminal equipment, but supports the forwarding of the positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to refuse to position the terminal equipment and refuse to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
The first response message is used for indicating the third network device to locate the terminal device, and the third network device is a network element with a locating function in the core network.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device and/or an identifier of a location server, where the location server is configured to locate the terminal device, and the location context information is used by the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used when the first network equipment positions the terminal equipment;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
the first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In one possible design, after receiving the first response message, the first network device may forward the first response message to the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network, and the first network device may send a second request message to the second network device, and obtain capability information of the second network device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device.
After receiving the second request message, the second network device sends a second response message including the capability information of the second network device to the first network device, so that the first network device determines whether to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device according to the second response message.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device locates the terminal device, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to refuse to locate the terminal device, but support forwarding of the location message, in which case, after the second network device receives the location message from the terminal device, the location message may be sent to the first network device, so that the first network device locates the terminal device according to the location message.
In the above technical solution, if the positioning service is not switched, the second network device may forward the received positioning message to the first network device, and determine the location of the terminal device through the positioning calculation of the first network device on the positioning message, that is, the second network device may implement the function of positioning the terminal device through the first network device.
In a possible design, if the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, after receiving the first request message, the second network device may send a third request message to the network element with a positioning function in the core network, where the third request message is used for determining, by the network element with a positioning function in the core network, whether the second network device agrees to position the terminal device;
then, the network element with the positioning function in the core network sends a third response message to the second network device, and indicates whether the network element agrees to the result of positioning the terminal device by the second network device through the third response message.
And the second network equipment generates a first response message according to the third response message.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
and the identifier of the server cell where the terminal equipment is located.
Wherein, the beneficial effects of the corresponding implementation manners in the fourth aspect can refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the method of the third aspect and the implementation manners thereof.
In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor for implementing the method performed by the terminal device in the first aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so as to implement any one of the methods performed by the terminal device in the first aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a first network device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver receives first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating the type of a first message sent by the terminal equipment, the first message is used for a positioning server to determine the position of the terminal equipment, the first message is the type of a message which can be identified by access network equipment or the type of a message which cannot be identified by the access network equipment but can be identified by core network equipment, and the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in a core network or a network element with a positioning function in the access network;
the processor determines the type of the first message according to the first indication information, and controls the transceiver to transmit the first message to the first network device.
In one possible design, the processor determines a type of the first message according to a type indicated in the first indication information; or, the processor determines the type of the first message according to the type of the first indication information.
In one possible design, the processor determines the type of the first message according to the type indicated in the first indication information, including:
the processor determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which can be identified by the access network equipment according to the type indicated in the first indication information as the type of the message which can be identified by the access network equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
The processor determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device according to the type indicated in the first indication information being the type of the message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In one possible design, the processor determines, according to the first indication information, that the access network device is capable of recognizing the message, that the type of the first message is the type of the message that the access network device is capable of recognizing; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processor determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device according to the first indication information which is the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In one possible design, the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be recognized by the access network device, and the first message includes an identifier of the location server and/or an identifier of a cell supported by the location server.
In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor for implementing the method performed by the first network device in the second aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so as to implement any one of the methods performed by the first network device in the second aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a terminal device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver acquires second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used for indicating a positioning server to be a network element with a positioning function in a core network or a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the positioning server is used for positioning the terminal equipment;
the transceiver receives a first message sent by the terminal equipment, wherein the first message is used for the positioning server to determine the position of the terminal equipment;
the processor determines to process the first message or control the transceiver to forward the first message according to the second indication information.
In one possible design, the processor obtains the second indication information from configuration information; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,
the transceiver receives the second indication information from a second network device under control of the processor; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,
the second indication information is predefined.
In one possible design, the second indication information is a type of message that can be recognized by the access network device, and the second indication information includes at least one of the following information:
an identity of the location server; or the like, or, alternatively,
an identification of a cell supported by the positioning server; or the like, or, alternatively,
An identification of a core network device interacting with the location server.
In one possible design, the processor determines the location server based on the second indication information.
In one possible design, the processor determines that the identification of the positioning server included in the second indication information is the identification of the communication device, the processor determines that the positioning server is the communication device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processor determines that the identity of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is the same as the identity of the cell supported by the communication device, and the processor determines that the positioning server is the communication device.
In one possible design, the processor determines that the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the communication device, and the identifier of the positioning server is different from the identifier of the network element with positioning function in the core network, the processor determines that the positioning server is the network element with positioning function in the access network except for the communication device, and the identifier of the network element with positioning function in the access network except for the communication device is the same as the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
The processor determines that the second indication information includes a cell identifier supported by the positioning server different from a cell identifier supported by the communication device, and the processor determines that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network except the communication device, and the cell identifier supported by the network element with the positioning function in the access network except the communication device is the same as the cell identifier supported by the positioning server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processor determines that the identifier of the positioning server included in the second indication information is an identifier of a network element with a positioning function in a core network, and the processor determines that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processor determines that the second indication information includes an identifier of a core network device interacting with the positioning server, and the processor determines that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network.
In a possible design, when the processor determines that the positioning server is the communication device according to the second indication information, the processor positions the terminal device according to the first message; or the like, or, alternatively,
The processor forwards the first message to the location server when the processor determines that the location server is not the communication device according to the second indication information.
In a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus includes a processor configured to implement the method performed by the first network device in the third aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, for implementing any one of the methods performed by the first network device in the third aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a second network device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver sends a first request message determined by the processor to the second network device, the first request message is used for requesting to switch the service base station of the terminal device from the communication device to the second network device, the first request message also comprises a positioning service switching instruction, the positioning service switching instruction is used for indicating that the terminal device is performing positioning service, and requesting to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device;
The transceiver receives a first response message corresponding to the first request message from a second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating a third network device to position the terminal device, wherein the third network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network and a core network except the first network device and the second network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is refused to be positioned by using the network equipment except the first network equipment.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device, and the location context information is used for the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
The first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In one possible design, the transceiver forwards the first response message to the terminal device after receiving the first response message.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device locates the terminal device, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network except the communication apparatus, and the transceiver sends a second request message to the second network device, and obtains capability information of the second network device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device.
The transceiver receiving a second response message from the second network device, the second response message including capability information of the second network device;
the processor determines whether to request the second network device to locate the terminal device according to the second response message.
In an eighth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor configured to implement the method performed by the second network device in the third aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, for implementing any one of the methods performed by the second network device in the third aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a first network device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver receives a first request message from a first network device, the first request message being used for requesting to switch a serving base station of a terminal device from the first network device to the communication apparatus, the first request message further comprising a positioning service switching indication, the positioning service switching indication being used for indicating that the terminal device is performing positioning service, and requesting to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the communication apparatus.
The transceiver transmits a first response message corresponding to the first request message determined by the processor to the first network device.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating a third network device to position the terminal device, wherein the third network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network and a core network except the first network device and the second network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is refused to be positioned by using the network equipment except the first network equipment.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device, and the location context information is used for the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
The terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
the first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the communication apparatus, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the communication apparatus, and the auxiliary information is used for the communication apparatus to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the communication device is a network element having a positioning function in an access network except the first network device, and the transceiver receives a second request message from the first network device, and obtains capability information of the communication device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning method supported by the communication device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the communication device.
The transceiver transmits a second response message including the capability information of the communication device to the first network equipment, so that the first network equipment determines whether to request the communication device to locate the terminal equipment according to the second response message.
In a possible design, the communication device is a network element having a positioning function in an access network except the first network device, and after receiving the first request message, the transceiver sends a third request message to the network element having the positioning function in the core network, where the third request message is used for determining, by the network element having the positioning function in the core network, whether the communication device agrees to position the terminal device;
The transceiver then receives a third response message from the network element with positioning functionality in the core network, the third response message indicating whether it agrees with the result of the positioning of the terminal device by the communication means.
The processor generates a first response message from the third response message.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
and the identifier of the server cell where the terminal equipment is located.
In one possible design, the communication device may be a network element having a positioning function in the core network, in which case the transceiver sends a fourth request message to the third network device, and the third network device is instructed to position the terminal device by the fourth request message.
The transceiver then receives a fourth response message from the third network device indicating whether the terminal device is approved for location determination, whereby the processor generates the first response message in accordance with the fourth response message.
In one possible design, the fourth request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
An identity of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located.
In a ninth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor for implementing the method performed by the first network device in the fourth aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so as to implement any one of the methods performed by the first network device in the fourth aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a second network device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver sends a first request message determined by the processor to the second network device, wherein the first request message comprises a positioning service switching indication which is used for indicating that the switched terminal device is performing a positioning service process;
the transceiver receives a first response message corresponding to the first request message from the second network device.
In one possible design, the first request message further includes a location service indication indicating whether the terminal device is located using the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network equipment refuses to position the terminal equipment and refuses to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in the core network.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a location server, the location server being configured to locate the terminal device, the location context information being used by the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
Information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the measurement result reported by the terminal equipment;
the first network device is used for positioning the terminal device.
In one possible design, the transceiver forwards the first response message to the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the transceiver sends a second request message to the second network device, where the second request message is used to obtain capability information of the second network device;
the transceiver receives a second response message from the second network device, the second response message including capability information of the second network device, the capability information including a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device;
the processor determines whether to request to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device according to the second response message.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, where the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In one possible design, when the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device refuses to locate the terminal device but supports forwarding of the location message, the transceiver receives the location message from the second network device, and the processor locates the terminal device according to the location message.
In a tenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor for implementing the method performed by the second network device in the fourth aspect. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor can call and execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so as to implement any one of the methods performed by the second network device in the fourth aspect. The communication device may also include a transceiver for the communication device to communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device is a first network device.
In one possible design, a processor and a transceiver are included, wherein:
the transceiver receives a first request message sent by a first network device, wherein the first request message comprises a positioning service switching instruction which is used for indicating that a switched terminal device is performing a positioning service process;
The transceiver transmits a first response message corresponding to the first request message determined by the processor to the first network device.
In one possible design, the first request message further includes a location service indication indicating whether the terminal device is located using the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network equipment refuses to position the terminal equipment and refuses to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in a core network.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a location server, the location server being configured to locate the terminal device, the location context information being used by the first network device to locate the terminal device;
The positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the measurement result reported by the terminal equipment;
the first network device is used for positioning the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the transceiver receives a second request message sent by the first network device, where the second request message is used to obtain capability information of the second network device;
the transceiver sends a second response message to the first network device, where the second response message includes capability information of the second network device, and the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device, so that the first network device determines whether to request to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device according to the second response message.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, where the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, and the transceiver sends a third request message to the network element with a positioning function in the core network, where the third request message is used for determining whether the network element with a positioning function in the core network agrees to position the terminal device by the second network device;
the transceiver receives a third response message from the network element with positioning function in the core network, where the third response message is used to indicate a determination result, where the determination result is a result of whether the network element with positioning function in the core network agrees to position the terminal device by the second network device;
the processor generates the first response message according to the third response message.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
an identity of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
the identity of the server cell in which the terminal device is located.
In one possible design, the transceiver receives the positioning message from the terminal device when the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device but supports forwarding of the positioning message; the transceiver sends the positioning message to the first network device, so that the first network device positions the terminal device according to the positioning message.
In an eleventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a terminal device, or an apparatus in a terminal device, and the communication apparatus may include a processing module and a communication module, where the processing module and the communication module may perform corresponding functions performed by the terminal device in any design example of the first aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a type of a first message sent by the terminal device, where the first message is used for a positioning server to determine a location of the terminal device, the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by an access network device or a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by a core network device, and the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in a core network or a network element having a positioning function in an access network;
the processing module is configured to determine a type of the first message according to the first indication information, and control the communication module to send the first message to the first network device.
In a possible design, the processing module is specifically configured to determine a type of the first message according to a type indicated in the first indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
The processing module is specifically configured to determine a type of the first message according to the type of the first indication information.
In a possible design, the processing module is specifically configured to determine, according to that the type indicated in the first indication information is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, that the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is specifically configured to determine, according to that the type indicated in the first indication information is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In a possible design, the processing module is specifically configured to determine, according to the first indication information being a message that can be identified by the access network device, that the type of the first message is a type of the message that can be identified by the access network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is specifically configured to determine, according to that the first indication information is a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
In one possible design, the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be recognized by the access network device, and the first message includes an identifier of the location server and/or an identifier of a cell supported by the location server.
In a twelfth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a first network device, or an apparatus in the first network device, and the communication apparatus may include a processing module and a communication module, where the modules may perform corresponding functions performed by the first network device in any design example of the second aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to acquire second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that a positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in a core network or a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the positioning server is used to position a terminal device;
the communication module is configured to receive a first message sent by the terminal device, where the first message is used by the location server to determine a location of the terminal device;
the processing module is used for determining to process the first message according to the second indication information;
the communication module is further configured to forward the first message.
In a possible design, the processing module is specifically configured to obtain the second indication information from the configuration information; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,
the communication module is specifically configured to receive the second indication information from the second network device; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,
the second indication information is predefined.
In one possible design, the second indication information is a type of message that can be recognized by the access network device, and the second indication information includes at least one of the following information:
an identity of the location server; or the like, or, alternatively,
an identification of a cell supported by the positioning server; or the like, or, alternatively,
an identification of a core network device interacting with the location server.
In one possible design, the processing module is configured to determine the location server according to the second indication information.
In one possible design, the processing module is configured to determine that the location server included in the second indication information is the identifier of the communication device, and then determine that the location server is the communication device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is configured to determine that the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the communication device, and then determine that the positioning server is the communication device.
In a possible design, the processing module is configured to determine that the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the communication device, and the identifier of the positioning server is different from the identifier of the network element with a positioning function in the core network, determine that the positioning server is the network element with a positioning function in the access network except for the communication device, and the identifier of the network element with a positioning function in the access network except for the communication device is the same as the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is configured to determine that the location server is a network element having a location function in the access network except the communication device if the identifier of the cell supported by the location server included in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the cell supported by the communication device, and the identifier of the cell supported by the network element having the location function in the access network except the communication device is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the location server indicated in the second indication information; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is configured to determine that the identifier of the positioning server included in the second indication information is an identifier of a network element having a positioning function in a core network, and determine that the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the core network; or the like, or, alternatively,
The processing module is configured to determine that the second indication information includes an identifier of a core network device interacting with the positioning server, and then determine that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network.
In a possible design, the processing module is configured to, when determining that the positioning server is the communication apparatus according to the second indication information, position the terminal device according to the first message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the processing module is used for determining that the positioning server is not the communication device according to the second indication information;
the communication module is further configured to forward the first message to the location server.
In a thirteenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a first network device, and may also be an apparatus in the first network device, and the communication apparatus may include a communication module, where the module may perform corresponding functions performed by the first network device in any of the design examples of the third aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to send a first request message to a second network device, where the first request message is used to request that a serving base station of the terminal device be switched from the communication device to the second network device, and the first request message further includes a positioning service switching instruction, where the positioning service switching instruction is used to instruct the terminal device to perform a positioning service, and request that the positioning service of the terminal device be switched to the second network device;
The communication module is configured to receive a first response message corresponding to the first request message from the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating a third network device to position the terminal device, wherein the third network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network and a core network except the first network device and the second network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is refused to be positioned by using the network equipment except the first network equipment.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device, and the location context information is used for the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
The first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In a possible design, the communication module is configured to forward the first response message to the terminal device after receiving the first response message.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device locates the terminal device, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network, except for the communication device, and the communication module is configured to send a second request message to the second network device, and obtain capability information of the second network device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device.
The communication module is used for receiving a second response message from the second network equipment, wherein the second response message comprises the capability information of the second network equipment;
the apparatus further includes a processing module configured to determine whether to request the second network device to locate the terminal device according to the second response message.
In a fourteenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a second network device, and may also be an apparatus in the second network device, and the communication apparatus may include a communication module, where the module may perform corresponding functions performed by the second network device in any of the design examples of the third aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to receive a first request message from a first network device, where the first request message is used to request that a serving base station of a terminal device is switched from the first network device to the communication apparatus, and the first request message further includes a positioning service switching instruction, where the positioning service switching instruction is used to indicate that the terminal device is performing a positioning service, and request that a positioning service of the terminal device is switched to the communication apparatus.
The communication module is configured to send a first response message corresponding to the first request message to the first network device.
In one possible design, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three ways:
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to position the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating a third network device to position the terminal device, wherein the third network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network and a core network except the first network device and the second network device; or the like, or, alternatively,
The first response message is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is refused to be positioned by using the network equipment except the first network equipment.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device, and the location context information is used for the first network device to locate the terminal device;
the positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports the measurement result;
the first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
In a possible design, if the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the communication apparatus, the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the communication apparatus, and the auxiliary information is used for the communication apparatus to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the communication device is a network element having a positioning function in an access network, except for the first network device, and the communication module is configured to receive a second request message from the first network device, and obtain capability information of the communication device through the second request message, where the capability information includes a positioning method supported by the communication device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the communication device.
The communication module is configured to send a second response message including the capability information of the communication apparatus to the first network device, so that the first network device determines whether to request the communication apparatus to locate the terminal device according to the second response message.
In a possible design, the communication device is a network element having a positioning function in the access network except the first network device, and when the communication module is configured to send a third request message to the network element having the positioning function in the core network, the third request message is used for determining whether the network element having the positioning function in the core network agrees to position the terminal device by the communication device;
then, the communication module is configured to receive a third response message from the network element with the positioning function in the core network, where the third response message indicates whether it agrees with the result of positioning the terminal device by the communication device.
The processing module is used for generating a first response message according to the third response message.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
and the identifier of the server cell where the terminal equipment is located.
In a possible design, the communication device may be a network element having a positioning function in a core network, in which case, the communication module is configured to send a fourth request message to the third network device, and instruct the third network device to position the terminal device through the fourth request message.
Then, the communication module is configured to receive a fourth response message indicating whether the terminal device is approved to be located from the third network device, and the processing module is configured to generate the first response message according to the fourth response message.
In one possible design, the fourth request message includes at least one of the following information:
identification of the terminal device;
positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
an identity of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located.
In a fifteenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a first network device, or an apparatus in the first network device, and the communication apparatus may include a communication module, where the module may perform corresponding functions performed by the first network device in any of the design examples of the fourth aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to send a first request message to a second network device, where the first request message includes a positioning service switching instruction, and the positioning service switching instruction is used to indicate that a switched terminal device is performing a positioning service process;
The communication module is configured to receive a first response message corresponding to the first request message from the second network device.
In one possible design, the first request message further includes a location service indication indicating whether the terminal device is located using the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network equipment refuses to position the terminal equipment and refuses to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in the core network.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a location server, the location server being configured to locate the terminal device, the location context information being used by the first network device to locate the terminal device;
The positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the measurement result reported by the terminal equipment;
the first network device is used for positioning the terminal device.
In one possible design, the communication module is configured to forward the first response message to the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the communication module is configured to send a second request message to the second network device, where the second request message is used to obtain capability information of the second network device;
the communication module is configured to receive a second response message from the second network device, where the second response message includes capability information of the second network device, and the capability information includes a positioning method supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device;
the apparatus further includes a processing module, configured to determine whether to request to switch the location service of the terminal device to the second network device according to the second response message.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, where the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device refuses to locate the terminal device, but supports forwarding of the location message, the communication module is used to receive the location message from the second network device, and the processing module is used to locate the terminal device according to the location message.
In a sixteenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, where the communication apparatus may be a second network device, and may also be an apparatus in the second network device, and the communication apparatus may include a communication module, where the module may perform corresponding functions performed by the second network device in any of the design examples of the fourth aspect, specifically:
the communication module is configured to receive a first request message sent by a first network device, where the first request message includes a positioning service switching instruction, and the positioning service switching instruction is used to indicate that a switched terminal device is performing a positioning service process;
The communication module is configured to send a first response message corresponding to the first request message to the first network device.
In one possible design, the first request message further includes a location service indication indicating whether the terminal device is located using the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network equipment refuses to position the terminal equipment and refuses to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in a core network.
In one possible design, the first request message includes a location context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a location server, the location server being configured to locate the terminal device, the location context information being used by the first network device to locate the terminal device;
The positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the measurement result reported by the terminal equipment;
the first network device is used for positioning the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network, and the communication module is configured to receive a second request message sent by the first network device, where the second request message is used to obtain capability information of the second network device;
the communication module is configured to send a second response message to the first network device, where the second response message includes capability information of the second network device, and the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device, so that the first network device determines, according to the second response message, whether to request to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the second network device.
In one possible design, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, where the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In a possible design, the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, and the communication module is configured to send a third request message to the network element with a positioning function in the core network, where the third request message is used for determining, by the network element with a positioning function in the core network, whether the second network device agrees to position the terminal device;
the communication module is configured to receive a third response message from a network element with a positioning function in the core network, where the third response message is used to indicate a determination result, and the determination result is a result of whether the network element with the positioning function in the core network agrees to perform positioning on the terminal device by the second network device;
the apparatus also includes a processing module configured to generate the first response message according to the third response message.
In one possible design, the third request message includes at least one of the following information:
an identity of the terminal device;
an identity of the first network device;
the identity of the server cell in which the terminal device is located.
In a possible design, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to refuse to locate the terminal device, but support forwarding of the location message, and the communication module is used to receive the location message from the terminal device; and the positioning module is used for sending the positioning message to the first network equipment so as to enable the first network equipment to position the terminal equipment according to the positioning message.
In a seventeenth aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the terminal device in the first aspect.
In an eighteenth aspect, this embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in the second aspect.
In a nineteenth aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in the third aspect.
In a twentieth aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the second network device in the third aspect.
In a twenty-first aspect, this embodiment further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in the fourth aspect.
In a twenty-second aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the second network device in the fourth aspect.
In a twenty-third aspect, this embodiment also provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device in the first aspect.
In a twenty-fourth aspect, the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in the second aspect.
In a twenty-fifth aspect, this embodiment further provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in the third aspect.
In a twenty-sixth aspect, this embodiment further provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the second network device in the third aspect.
In a twenty-seventh aspect, this embodiment also provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method performed by the first network device in the fourth aspect.
In a twenty-eighth aspect, the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method performed by the second network device in the fourth aspect.
In a twenty-ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is used to implement the method executed by the terminal device in the first aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirtieth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the method performed by the first network device in the second aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirty-first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the method performed by the first network device in the third aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirty-second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the method performed by the second network device in the third aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirty-third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the method performed by the first network device in the fourth aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirty-fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the method performed by the second network device in the fourth aspect. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a thirty-fifth aspect, the present application provides a system, which includes the communication apparatus in the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect.
In a sixteenth aspect, the present application provides a system, where the system includes the communication device in the seventh aspect and the eighth aspect.
In a thirty-seventh aspect, the present application provides a system, which includes the communication apparatus in the ninth aspect and the tenth aspect.
In a thirty-eighth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a system, which includes the communication device of the eleventh aspect or the twelfth aspect.
In a thirty-ninth aspect, the present application provides a system, which includes the communication apparatus in the thirteenth aspect or the fourteenth aspect.
Fortieth, an embodiment of the present application provides a system, which includes the communication apparatus of the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect.
Advantageous effects of the fourth to fortieth aspects and implementations thereof described above reference may be made to the description of the advantageous effects of the method of the first or second or third aspect and implementations thereof.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an architecture of a positioning system in a 5G system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 2A-2D are schematic diagrams of exemplary positioning systems provided in accordance with embodiments of the present application;
fig. 3 is a flowchart of an example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 4 is a flowchart of another example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 5 is a flowchart of another example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 6 is a flowchart of another example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 7 is a flowchart of another example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;
Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;
fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;
fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;
fig. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 13 is another schematic block diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 14 is a further schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 15 is a further schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 16 is a further schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 17 is a further schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.
Detailed Description
In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, some terms in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.
1) A terminal equipment (terminal equipment), also known as a terminal, User Equipment (UE), Mobile Station (MS), Mobile Terminal (MT), etc., is a device that provides voice and/or data connectivity to a user, and may include, for example, a handheld device with wireless connectivity capability or a processing device connected to a wireless modem.
The terminal may communicate with a core network via a Radio Access Network (RAN), exchanging voice and/or data with the RAN. The terminal may include a User Equipment (UE), a wireless terminal, a mobile terminal, a subscriber unit (subscriber unit), a subscriber station (subscriber station), a mobile station (mobile station), a remote station (remote station), an Access Point (AP), a remote terminal (remote terminal), an access terminal (access terminal), a user terminal (user terminal), a user agent (user agent), a user equipment (user device), or the like.
For example, mobile phones (or so-called "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminals, portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-included or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, smart wearable devices, and the like may be included. For example, Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and the like.
Alternatively, the terminal device may also include a limited device, such as a device with lower power consumption, or a device with limited storage capability, or a device with limited computing capability, etc. Examples of information sensing devices include bar codes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), sensors, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), laser scanners, and the like.
By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the smart wearable device is a generic term for intelligently designing daily wearing by applying wearable technology, and developing wearable devices, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothes, shoes, and the like. The smart wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the clothing or accessories of the user.
The intelligent wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also realizes powerful functions through software support, data interaction and cloud interaction. Generalized intelligent wearable device includes that the function is full, size is big, can not rely on the smart mobile phone to realize complete or partial function, for example: smart watches or smart glasses and the like, and only focus on a certain type of application functions, and need to be used in cooperation with other devices such as smart phones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, smart jewelry and the like for monitoring physical signs.
Alternatively, the terminal may be a Virtual Reality (VR) device, an Augmented Reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control (industrial control), a wireless terminal in unmanned driving (drive), a wireless terminal in remote medical supply (remote), a wireless terminal in smart grid (smart grid), a wireless terminal in transportation safety (transportation safety), a wireless terminal in smart city (smart city), a wireless terminal in smart home (smart home), or the like.
2) The network device may be a (radio) access network (R) AN device, a Core Network (CN) device, or a combination thereof.
Where (R) AN equipment, including, for example, a base station (e.g., access point), may refer to equipment in AN access network that communicates over the air with wireless terminals over one or more cells. The (radio) access network device may be configured to interconvert received air frames and Internet Protocol (IP) packets as a router between the terminal device and the rest of the access network, which may include an IP network. The (radio) access network device may also coordinate attribute management for the air interface.
For example, a (wireless) access network device may include a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a Base Station Controller (BSC), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB or home Node B, HNB), a Base Band Unit (BBU), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Access Point (AP), etc.
The (radio) access network device may also comprise an evolved base station (NodeB or eNB or e-NodeB, evolved Node B) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system or an evolved LTE system (LTE-Advanced, LTE-a).
Alternatively, the (wireless) access network device may also include a next generation node B (gNB), a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP), or a Transmission Point (TP) in a 5G system or a New Radio (NR) system.
Alternatively, the (radio) access network device may also include a Centralized Unit (CU) and/or a Distributed Unit (DU) in a cloud access network (cloudlen) system, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "(radio) access network device" and "access network device" may be used interchangeably.
The CN equipment is connected with a plurality of access networks and comprises a Circuit Switched (CS) domain and/or a data Switched (PS) domain, the CS network element comprises a mobile switching center, an access location register and a gateway mobile switching center, and the PS network element comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) node and a gateway GPRS support node. Some network elements such as home location register, visitor location register, authentication center can be shared by CS domain and PS domain.
3) The positioning server may be a device for determining a position of the terminal device according to measurement information (e.g., RSTD or Cell Identification (CID)) of the terminal device on the reference signal, where the device may be a hardware device or a logic device based on software support.
For example, the location server may include an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC), a Location Measurement Function (LMF), a radio access network-location measurement component (RAN-LMC), and the like.
The E-SMLC is a location server located in an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the LMF is a location server located in a 5G core (5G core, 5GC), and the RAN-LMC is a location service functional component located in a radio access network side, which may implement a part of functions of the LMF. RAN-LMC and LMC may be used interchangeably.
4) And the AMF network element is used for authenticating the terminal equipment, managing the mobility of the terminal equipment, maintaining and managing the state information of the terminal equipment and the like. The AMF network element interacts with the (radio) access network equipment over the NG-C interface and with the E-SMLC over the Nls interface.
5) In the embodiments of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more, and in view of this, the "plurality" may also be understood as "at least two". "at least one" is to be understood as meaning one or more, for example one, two or more.
For example, including at least one means including one, two, or more, and does not limit which ones are included, for example, including at least one of A, B and C, then including may be A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or a and B and C.
"and/or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, meaning that there may be three relationships, e.g., a and/or B, which may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.
In addition, the character "/" generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship, unless otherwise specified. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application may be used interchangeably.
Unless stated to the contrary, the embodiments of the present application refer to the ordinal numbers "first", "second", etc., for distinguishing between a plurality of objects, and do not limit the sequence, timing, priority, or importance of the plurality of objects.
Having described some of the concepts related to the embodiments of the present application, the following describes features of the embodiments of the present application.
Taking the OTDOA positioning scheme as an example, a process of positioning a terminal device is introduced.
Before positioning the terminal device, the base station first configures a plurality of auxiliary information cells for positioning the terminal device for the terminal device, and transmits a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) to the terminal device together from the plurality of auxiliary information cells.
The terminal equipment selects one cell from the plurality of auxiliary information cells as an auxiliary information reference cell, and other cells are used as auxiliary information neighbor cells. And after the terminal equipment receives the PRS sent by each cell, calculating the RSTD of the PRS of each auxiliary information neighboring cell relative to the PRS of the auxiliary information reference cell.
Then, the terminal device may select to report all or part of the information such as the RSTD of the auxiliary information neighbor cell to the E-SMLC. The information such as the RSTD that needs to be reported may be carried by an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), and for convenience of description, the information such as the RSTD carried in the LPP may be referred to as an LPP message, and of course, the LPP message may also be another name with a change of a communication system, and is not limited herein.
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an architecture of a positioning system in a 5G system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. And the terminal equipment sends the NAS message to the LMF through the LPP message. It should be understood that for an LTE system, the AMF may be a gateway or Mobility Management Element (MME) and the LMF may be an E-SMLC.
First, the terminal device encapsulates the LPP message into non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, and then sends the NAS signaling to the base station through a Uu interface between the base station and the terminal device. After receiving the NAS signaling, the base station forwards the NAS signaling to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element through an NG-C interface between the base station and the AMF network element.
The AMF network element analyzes the received NAS signaling to obtain the LPP message, and then the LPP message is sent to the LMF through an NLs interface between the AMF network element and the LMF. After obtaining the LPP message, the LMF calculates the location of the terminal device using the pre-stored geographical location information of the plurality of auxiliary information cells and the LPP message.
Of course, there are various methods for positioning the terminal device, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning scheme, an enhanced cell Identity (ID) based positioning technology (ECID) positioning scheme, and the like may also be adopted. Since the process of reporting the LPP message to the LMF by the terminal device is similar in the various positioning schemes, one of the positioning schemes, for example, the OTDOA positioning scheme, is described as an example.
As can be seen from the process shown in fig. 1, when reporting the LPP message to the LMF, the terminal needs to forward the LPP message through the base station and the AMF network element, so that a certain delay overhead may exist in the process of positioning the terminal device in the prior art, and therefore how to reduce the delay overhead in the positioning process is a technical problem to be solved urgently at present.
In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, in which a location server for determining a location of a terminal device may be a network element having a location function in a core network, for example, an LMF, or may also be a network element having a location function in an access network, for example, an access network device having a location function. In this case, the terminal device may receive first indication information indicating a type of the first message sent by the terminal device before sending the first message for the positioning server to determine the location of the terminal device.
For example, when the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the core network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device. When the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, the first indication information may indicate that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device.
Then, after determining the type of the first message according to the first indication information, the terminal device sends the first message to the first network device. If the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the first network device, the first network device may directly determine the location of the terminal device according to the first message, so that the first message may not be forwarded, and the delay overhead caused by the forwarding process may be reduced. The first network device is a positioning function in the RAN, and may be located on the serving base station or on other neighbor base stations, which specifically depends on network deployment, and this application is not limited.
Next, an application scenario of the embodiment of the present application is described.
Please refer to fig. 2A, which is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a positioning architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In fig. 2A, the terminal, the access network device and the LMF are included, where the terminal is located in a coverage area of a cell a of the access network device, and the access network device has a positioning function, where the access network device is a network device in the access network that has the positioning function, and the LMF is a network device in the core network that has the positioning function.
Please refer to fig. 2B, which is a schematic diagram of another example of a positioning architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. In fig. 2B, the terminal, the access network device, and two location servers are included, and in the architecture, the two location servers are an LMC and an LMF, respectively. Different from the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2A, the access network device in fig. 2B is connected to an LMC, and the positioning function is implemented by the LMC, where the LMC is a network device having a positioning function in the access network, and the LMF is a network device having a positioning function in the core network.
Please refer to fig. 2C, which is a schematic diagram of another example of a positioning architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. Different from fig. 2A, in fig. 2C, an AMF network element is further included, and the AMF network element is respectively connected to the access network device and the LMF, where the AMF network element is a network device in the core network.
Please refer to fig. 2D, which is a schematic diagram of another example of a positioning architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Different from fig. 2C, fig. 2D includes two access network devices, which are an access network device 1 and an access network device 2, where the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 are connected to the LMF through AMF network elements, respectively, and the access network device 2 may or may not have a positioning function, and fig. 2D illustrates that the access network device 2 has a positioning function. The terminal is located within the coverage of cell a of the access network device 1.
It should be noted that the access network device has a positioning function, and it can be understood that, after receiving a message, such as an LPP message, sent by the terminal for positioning, the access network device may process the LPP message through the positioning function of the access network device, so as to obtain a positioning result of the terminal.
The number of access network devices and terminals in fig. 2A to 2D is only an example, and in practical applications, the positioning architecture provided by the present application may provide services for more terminals, and may include more access network devices. Furthermore, in the positioning architecture as shown in fig. 2A to 2D, although the LMF, the access network device, the terminal, and the cell are shown, the positioning architecture may not be limited to include the above. For example, devices for carrying virtualized network functions, wireless relay devices, etc. may also be included. These will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and need not be described in detail herein.
The positioning system provided by the embodiment of the application can be applied to a 5G system, an advanced long term evolution (LTE-a) system, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system, and the like.
In addition, the positioning system may also be applied to future-oriented communication technologies, and the communication system described in the embodiment of the present application is for more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.
In addition, it should be noted that the LMF is only an example of a location server in the core network, and may also be other names in other communication systems, and those skilled in the art should not understand that the LMF is a limitation to the location server in the core network.
The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, please refer to fig. 3, which is a flowchart of the method.
In the following description, taking the application of the method to the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D as an example, that is, the first network device described below may be an access network device 1 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the terminal device described below may be a terminal device in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, a network element having a positioning function in the access network described below may be the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, a network element having a positioning function in the core network described below may be an LMF, and a core network device described below may be an AMF network element.
Additionally, the method may be performed by two communication devices. These two communication means are, for example, a first communication means and a second communication means, where the first communication means may be the access network device 1 or a communication means capable of supporting the functions required by the access network device 1 to implement the method, and may also be other communication means, such as a system on a chip. The same applies to the second communication device, which may be, for example, a terminal or a communication device capable of supporting the terminal to implement the functions required by the method, or a system-on-chip. And the implementation modes of the first communication device and the second communication device are not limited.
For convenience of description, in the following, the method is performed by the access network device 1 and the terminal as an example, that is, the first communication device is the access network device 1, and the second communication device is the terminal as an example.
And S31, the core network equipment determines a positioning server for positioning the terminal equipment.
In the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the devices with positioning function include network elements with positioning function in the access network, such as access network device 1 and access network device 2, and network elements with positioning function in the core network, such as LMF, so that before positioning the terminal device, the core network device first determines which device with positioning function in the positioning architecture is used to position the terminal device.
The core network device may be the AMF network element shown in fig. 2D, or may also be an LMF, and certainly, if there are other devices in the core network of the positioning architecture, the positioning server for positioning the terminal device may also be determined by the other devices, which is not limited herein. Hereinafter, the core network device is taken as an AMF network element as an example. It should be understood, however, that the messages transmitted by the terminal device may differ for different core network elements. For example, if the message is an AMF, the terminal device sends a NAS message, and if the message is an LMF, the sent message is an LPP message. The specific application is not limited, depending on the network element used.
The determining, by the AMF network element, of the positioning server for positioning the terminal device may include, but is not limited to, the following manners:
in the first mode, after receiving a positioning request sent by a terminal device, an AMF network element may determine, according to information carried in the positioning request, a positioning server for positioning the terminal device.
As an example, the location request may carry a Cell Identity (CID), a Global Cell Identity (GCI), a Physical Cell Identity (PCI), an identifier of an access network device, such as an index number and an Identity (ID) number of the access network device, for providing a service for the terminal device. After obtaining the identifier of the access network device providing services for the terminal device from the positioning request, the AMF network element may determine whether the access network device has a positioning function according to the identifier. Or, after receiving the positioning request sent by the terminal device, the AMF network element may obtain the information from an Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) functional network element.
For example, the AMF network element stores the identifier of the access network device with positioning function in advance, and then matches the identifier of the access network device with positioning function stored in advance with the identifier of the access network device obtained from the positioning request.
If the identifier of the access network device obtained from the positioning request is the same as one of the identifiers of the access network devices with the positioning function, which are stored in advance, the access network device providing service for the terminal device is considered to have the positioning function, so that the access network device can be determined to be used as the positioning server of the terminal device.
If the identifier of the access network device obtained from the positioning request is different from any one identifier of the access network device with the positioning function, which is stored in advance, the access network device providing service for the terminal device is considered to have no positioning function, so that the LMF can be determined to be used as the positioning server of the terminal device.
In the second way, the AMF network element may actively initiate a positioning request for the terminal device, for example, the AMF network element may periodically position the terminal device, and the like. After the AMF network element actively initiates a location request for the terminal device, the AMF network element may determine a location server for locating the terminal device according to a load of the access network device having a location function and a load of the LMF.
As an example, when the AMF network element actively initiates a location request for the terminal device, the AMF network element may obtain a load of each access network device having a location function and a load of the LMF, and determine that the network device with the minimum load is the location server of the terminal device.
For example, in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the access network device with the positioning function includes an access network device 1 and an access network device 2, the AMF network element determines that the access network device 1 provides a positioning service for 10 terminal devices, the access network device 2 provides a positioning service for 5 terminal devices, and the LMF provides a positioning service for 3 terminal devices, so that the AMF network element may determine to use the LMF as a positioning server of the terminal device.
In a third manner, the AMF network element may determine the location server of the terminal device after receiving a handover request sent by the terminal device for switching the access network device.
As an example, after receiving the handover request, the AMF network element may determine that the source access network device or the target access network device in the handover request is a location server of the terminal device.
For example, the terminal device sends a handover request to be handed over from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, and the AMF network element first determines whether a target access network device to be handed over by the terminal device has a positioning function. If the target access network device has the positioning function, the AMF network element may determine that the positioning server of the terminal device is the target access network device, if the target access network device does not have the positioning function, the AMF network element may determine that the positioning server of the terminal device is the source access network device, and if both have the positioning functions, the AMF network element may randomly select one as the positioning server.
For example, the AMF network element may also obtain capability information of each access network device, where the capability information may include information about whether the access network device has a positioning function. The AMF determines that the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 both have the positioning function according to the capability information of each access network device, so that the AMF network element may randomly select one, for example, select a target access network device (that is, the access network device 2) as a positioning server of the terminal device.
Of course, the AMF network element may also determine the location server of the terminal device in other manners, which is not limited to this example.
S32, the AMF network element sends the first indication information, and the terminal equipment receives the first indication information.
In this embodiment of the present application, the location server that may be used to locate the terminal device may be an LMF or an access network device with a location function, and when the location servers that are used to locate the terminal device are different, the manner in which the terminal device reports the information used to determine the location of the terminal device is also different.
For convenience of explanation, the information for determining the location of the terminal device is hereinafter taken as an example of the first message. As an example, the first message may include one or more of RSTD, Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ) of a serving cell where the terminal device is located, a time difference of a transmission and reception signal between the terminal device and the serving cell, a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), an identifier of the serving cell where the terminal device is located, and other information, which is not listed herein.
When the location server for determining the location of the terminal device is an LMF, the first message reported by the terminal device is sent to the LMF, that is, the access network device does not need to know the content sent in the first message, and therefore, before sending, the terminal device needs to encapsulate the first message into a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, for example, an LPP message carried by an NAS message, and then send the LPP message.
When the positioning server for determining the location of the terminal device is an access network device with a positioning function, the first message reported by the terminal device is sent to the access network device, so that the terminal device may encapsulate the first message into a type of message that can be identified by the access network device, for example, an RRC message, and then send the type of message. Therefore, the access network equipment can determine the position of the terminal equipment according to the first message, the positioning step can be simplified, and the time delay of the positioning process is reduced.
It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, a nesting relationship exists between the LPP message, the NAS message, and the RRC message, that is, the LPP message may be carried by the NAS message, and the NAS message may be carried by the RRC message. Alternatively, the LPP messages are carried directly by RRC messages. In this embodiment, the NAS message refers to a NAS message carried by an RRC message.
Therefore, after the AMF network element determines the positioning server for positioning the terminal device, the AMF network element may send the first indication information to the terminal device, and notify the terminal device of the determined positioning server through the first indication information, so that the terminal device may adopt different processing modes for the first message according to different positioning servers.
That is, from the perspective of the terminal device, the first indication information is used not only to indicate the location server for locating the terminal device, which is determined by the AMF network element, but also to indicate the type of the first message sent by the terminal device. Or, the location server may also be understood as a location server that instructs the AMF network element to locate the terminal device by instructing the type of the first message sent by the terminal device.
Next, the first instruction information will be explained.
In the embodiment of the present application, the first indication information may include, but is not limited to, the following six cases:
in the first case:
the first indication information directly indicates a type of the first message.
That is, after the AMF network element determines the location server for locating the terminal device, the AMF network element directly determines the type of the first message according to the type of the location server, and indicates the type of the first message through the first indication information.
As an example, if the AMF network element determines that the location server is an LMF, the AMF network element indicates, in the first indication information, that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device; if the AMF network element determines that the positioning server is the access network equipment, the AMF network element indicates in the first indication information that the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network equipment.
Specifically, the first indication information may be indicated by the content of the message, and specifically may be indicated by a specific bit or field, which is not limited herein.
In the second case:
the first indication information carries an identifier of the positioning server determined by the AMF network element.
As an example, when the terminal device accesses the access network device 1, the access network device 1 may send configuration information to the terminal device, where the configuration information is used to indicate a range of identifiers of network elements in the access network, where the range may be 0 to 256, that is, the identifier of the access network device must be located in the range, for example, the identifier of the access network device 1 is 0, the identifier of the access network device 2 is 1, and the identifier of the LMF may be any one value greater than 256, for example, 280.
And when the identifier of one network element is in the range, the network element is represented as the network element in the access network, and if the identifier of one network element exceeds the range, the network element is represented as the network element in the core network.
As another example, the identifier of the positioning server may include two types, that is, an identifier of a core network device or an identifier of an access network device, for example, when the identifier of the positioning server is 0, it indicates that the identifier of the positioning server is the identifier of the core network device, and then the terminal device may determine that the positioning server is located in the core network. When the identifier of the positioning server is 1, it indicates that the identifier of the positioning server is an identifier of an access network device, and the terminal device may determine that the positioning server is located in the access network.
Thus, after the AMF network element determines the positioning server for positioning the terminal equipment, the first indication information is generated according to the identifier of the positioning server.
In the third case:
the first indication information carries the type of the positioning server determined by the AMF network element.
In the embodiment of the present application, the types of the positioning server are divided into two types, where the first type is a type of an access network device, and the second type is a type of a core network device. And, when the type of the positioning server is the type of the access network device, the positioning server can be defaulted to be the access network device providing the service for the terminal device.
As an example, the AMF network element may pre-agree with the terminal device to use one bit or one field in the first indication information to indicate the type of the positioning server determined by the AMF network element. For example, one bit in the first indication information is used for indicating, and when the value of the bit is 0, it indicates that the type of the positioning server is the type of the access network device, and when the value of the first bit is 1, it indicates that the type of the positioning server is the type of the core network device. It is to be understood that this is by way of example only and that the specific values are not limiting of the present application.
In a fourth case:
the first indication information carries an identifier of a location session (session) of the location server.
As an example, the access network device 1 may send, to the terminal device, configuration information in advance, where the configuration information is used to indicate a range of the identifier of the positioning session in the access network device, where the range may be 0 to 128, that is, the identifier of the positioning session of the access network device must be located in the range, and the identifier of the positioning session of the LMF may be any value greater than 128, for example, may be 200.
In the fifth case:
the first indication information implicitly indicates the positioning server determined by the AMF network element through the type of the first indication information.
That is, when the location servers determined by the AMF network element are different, the type of the first indication information is also different. When the location server determined by the AMF network element is an LMF, the type of the first indication information may be a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, for example, the first indication information may be an NAS message. When the AMF network element determines that the location server is the access network device, the type of the first indication information may be a type that can be recognized by the access network device, for example, may be an RRC message.
It should be noted that the type of the message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device may be an NAS message, or may be another message type, such as an LPP message encapsulated in an NAS message. The type of the message that the access network device can recognize may be an RRC message, or may be another message encapsulated in the RRC message, or may be another message, such as Media Access Control (MAC) signaling, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.
In the sixth case:
the first indication information may be a combination of any two or three or four or five of the aforementioned five cases. The contents of the specific combination are not described herein again.
The first indication information may be dedicated signaling, for example, RRC configuration signaling, MAC signaling (MAC CE), or the like; the first indication information may also be an LPP message, or information encapsulating an LPP message in an RRC signaling encapsulation format, or information encapsulating an LPP message in an NAS signaling encapsulation format. Or, the first indication information may also be any one of messages interacted between the AMF network element and the terminal device, and in this embodiment, a specific form of the first indication information is not limited.
In addition, it should be noted that, after the AMF network element generates the first indication information, the first indication information may be directly sent to the terminal device, or the first indication information may be sent to an access network device that provides a service for the terminal device, and then the access network device forwards the first indication information to the terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, the AMF network element directly uses the terminal device as an example.
And S33, the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the first indication information.
And after the terminal equipment receives the first indication information, determining the type of the first message according to the first indication information.
As can be seen from the description of the first indication information in step S32, the AMF network element may indicate, to the terminal device, a location server for locating the terminal device through the first indication information in a variety of ways. Therefore, there are various ways for the terminal device to determine the type of the first message according to the first indication information, which may specifically include, but are not limited to, the following five types:
the first determination method:
and the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the type indicated in the first indication information.
As an example, if the terminal device determines that the type indicated in the first indication information is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device. If the terminal device determines that the type indicated in the first indication information is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
The second determination method is as follows:
and the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the identifier of the positioning server carried in the first indication information.
As an example, when the terminal device accesses the access network device 1, the terminal device determines a range of the identifier of the network element in the access network through configuration information sent by the access network device 1, for example, the range may be 0 to 256.
The terminal device may determine whether the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the first indication information exceeds the range, and if the identifier of the positioning server is located within the range, the terminal device determines that the positioning server determined by the AMF network element is the access network device, and further determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be recognized by the access network device, for example, the type of the first message may be an RRC message. Otherwise, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, and may be, for example, an NAS message.
The third determination mode is as follows:
and the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the type of the positioning server carried in the first indication information.
As an example, if the terminal device determines that the type of the positioning server indicated in the first indication information is the type of the access network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of a message that can be identified by the access network device; if the terminal device determines that the type of the positioning server indicated in the first indication information is the type of the core network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of a message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
The fourth determination method:
and the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the identifier of the positioning session carried in the first indication information.
As an example, the terminal device may send configuration information to the terminal device in advance according to the access network device 1, and determine a range of the identifier of the positioning session in the access network device, where the range may be 0 to 128.
The terminal device may determine whether the identifier of the positioning session indicated in the first indication information exceeds the range, and if the identifier of the positioning server is located within the range, the terminal device determines that the positioning server determined by the AMF network element is the access network device, and further determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device; otherwise, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
The fifth determination method:
and the terminal equipment determines the type of the first message according to the type of the first indication information.
As an example, if the terminal device determines that the first indication information is a message that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device; if the terminal device determines that the first indication information is a message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type of a message which cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device.
For example, if the terminal device determines that the first indication information is an NAS message, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is an NAS message, and if the terminal device determines that the first indication information is an RRC message, the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is an RRC message.
Of course, the terminal device may also determine the type of the first message in other manners, which is not limited herein.
S34, the terminal device sends the first message to the first network device, and the first network device receives the first message.
In this embodiment of the application, the first access network device is an access network device that provides a service for a terminal device, and for example, may be the access network device 1 shown in fig. 2D.
As can be seen from the description of the first message in step S32, the first message may include RSRP, RSRQ, a time difference between a terminal device and a serving cell for receiving and transmitting signals, SRS, an identifier of the serving cell where the terminal device is located, and other information.
It should be noted that any information of RSRP, RSRQ, and the time difference between the terminal device and the serving cell for receiving and transmitting signals may be obtained by measuring the reference signal of the serving cell after the terminal device receives the positioning parameter measurement request sent by the AMF network element or after the terminal device actively initiates the positioning request. Alternatively, the reference signals of the serving cell may be measured periodically by the terminal device. The SRS and the identification of the serving cell where the terminal equipment is located do not need the terminal equipment to measure, and when the terminal equipment receives a positioning parameter measurement request or the terminal equipment actively initiates a positioning request, the corresponding information is directly reported.
That is to say, in a possible implementation, the terminal device may already obtain the relevant parameter or content of the first message before receiving the first indication information, or may obtain the first message by measuring the reference signal of the serving cell sent by the access network device 1 after obtaining the first indication information.
It should be noted that, since there may be a plurality of network elements having a positioning function in the access network, for example, in fig. 2D, both the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 have a positioning function. The access network device 1 may not know the location server determined by the AMF network element, so that when the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device may further indicate the location server determined by the AMF network element in the first message.
For example, the terminal device may carry, in the first message, an identifier of the positioning server and/or an identifier of a cell supported by the positioning server, where the identifier of the cell may be a CID, or a GCI, or a PCI. For example, the terminal device determines, through the first indication information, that the positioning server determined by the AMF network element is the access network device 1, and then the terminal device may carry the identifier of the access network device 1 and/or the identifier of the cell a of the access network device 1 in the first message. Of course, other information capable of indicating that the positioning server is the access network device 1 may also be carried, which is not illustrated here.
After acquiring the relevant parameters or content of the first message, the terminal device may generate an LPP message according to the relevant parameters or content of the first message, encapsulate the LPP message by using a corresponding protocol according to the determined type of the first message, and then send the LPP message to the access network device 1.
For example, if the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type that can be identified by the access network device, the terminal device may encapsulate the LPP message using an RRC protocol; if the terminal device determines that the type of the first message is a type that cannot be identified by the access network device but can be identified by the core network device, the terminal device may encapsulate the LPP message using a NAS protocol.
And S35, the first access network equipment determines the position of the terminal equipment according to the first message.
When the access network device 1 receives the first message and determines that the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network device, the access network device 1 parses the first message. If the first message does not carry the identifier of another access network device, or the identifier of the access network device carried in the first message is the same as the identifier of the access network device 1, or the identifier of the cell carried in the first message is the same as the identifier of one of the cells of the access network device 1, the access network device 1 determines the location of the terminal device according to the first message.
S36, the first access network device forwards the first message to the location server.
When the access network device 1 receives the first message and determines that the access network device cannot identify the first message, the access network device 1 forwards the first message to the LMF. In particular, the access network device 1 sends the first message to the LMF through the AMF network element.
Or, when the access network device 1 receives the first message and determines that the first message is the type of the message that can be identified by the access network device, the access network device 1 parses the first message. If the identifier of the access network device carried in the first message is different from the identifier of the access network device 1, or the identifier of the cell carried in the first message is different from the identifier of any cell of the access network device 1, the access network device 1 forwards the first message to the corresponding access network device.
In this case, as an example, interaction between the access network devices may occur, for example, the identities of other access network devices adjacent to each access network device may be obtained. If the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the access network device carried in the first message is the same as the identifier of one neighboring access network device (for example, the access network device 2), the access network device 1 may forward the first message to the access network device 2, so that the access network device 2 determines the location of the terminal device according to the first message.
As another example, the access network devices may not know the identities of other adjacent access network devices.
For example, when the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the access network device carried in the first message is different from the identifier of the access network device 1, or the identifier of the cell carried in the first message is different from the identifier of any one cell of the access network device 1, the access network device 1 may send the first message to other adjacent access network devices, respectively, and after receiving the first message, the other access network devices perform judgment according to the identifier indicated in the first message, when the identifier indicated in the first message is the same as the identifier of the first access network device, determine the position of the terminal device according to the first message, and otherwise, continue to forward the first message.
It should be noted that, the steps S35 and S36 only need to be executed alternatively, and specifically, whether to execute the step S35 or execute the step S36 may be determined according to the step S34, which is not limited herein. In fig. 3, to execute S35, and take the example in fig. 3 that the access network device 1 sends the first message to the AMF network element, so that the AMF network element forwards the first message to the LMF (the process of forwarding the first message by the AMF network element is not shown), step S36 is represented by a dotted line, and take the example that the positioning server in step S36 is the LMF.
In the above technical solution, the terminal device may send a first message with different message types to the access network device according to first indication information sent by the core network device and used for indicating the positioning server, so that when the type of the first message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, the access network device may directly determine the position of the terminal device according to the first message, and thus the first message may not be forwarded, and the delay overhead caused by the forwarding process may be reduced.
The embodiment shown in fig. 3 illustrates how core network equipment and terminal equipment should do when there are network elements with positioning functions in both the access network and the core network. Next, referring to fig. 4, a flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.
In the following description, taking the application of the method to the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D as an example, that is, the first network device described below may be an access network device 1 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the terminal device described below may be a terminal device in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, a network element having a positioning function in the access network described below may be the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, a network element having a positioning function in the core network described below may be an LMF, and a core network device described below may be an AMF network element.
In addition, the method can be executed by two communication apparatuses, and for the description of the two communication apparatuses, reference is made to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.
For convenience of description, in the following, the method is performed by the access network device 1 and the terminal as an example, that is, the first communication device is the access network device 1, and the second communication device is the terminal as an example.
And S41, the second network equipment determines a positioning server for positioning the terminal equipment.
In this embodiment of the present application, the location server is configured to locate the terminal device, and the second network device may be a core network device, for example, an AMF network element or an LMF. The location server may be an LMF, or may be an access network device, for example, the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, or may be another network device, which is not limited herein.
For convenience of explanation, the second network device is taken as a core network device, such as an AMF network element, for example, and the description is given below.
When the second network device is an AMF network element, the step S41 is similar to the step S31, and is not described herein again.
S42, the second network device sends the second indication information, and the first network device receives the second indication information.
In this embodiment of the application, the second indication information is used to indicate that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network, for example, an LMF, or the second indication information is used to indicate that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, for example, an access network device 1 or an access network device 2, and the first network device may be the access network device 1.
In addition, since the second indication information is sent to the first network device, and the first network device is the access network device 1, in this embodiment of the application, the second indication information is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, for example, the second indication information may use a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) protocol, and may also be a type of a message that can be identified by other access network devices, which is not limited herein.
Next, the second instruction information will be explained.
In the embodiment of the present application, the second indication information may include, but is not limited to, the following six cases:
in the first case, the second indication information may include an identification of the location server.
In the second case, the type of the positioning server may be included in the second indication information.
In a third case, the second indication information may include an identifier of a location session (session).
The first to third conditions in the second indication information are the same as the first to third conditions in the first indication information, and are not described herein again.
In a fourth case:
the second indication information may include an identification of the cells supported by the positioning server.
When the determined location server is an access network device with a location function in the access network, the second indication information may carry an identifier of a cell supported by the access network device, where the identifier of the cell may be a CID, or a GCI, or a PCI, and is not described in detail again.
As an example, if the positioning server is the access network device 1, the second indication information may carry an identifier of the cell a, or identifiers of other cells of the access network device 1.
In the fifth case:
the second indication information may include an identification of a core network device interacting with the location server.
When the determined location server is a network element with a location function in the core network, for example, an LMF, the identifier of the core network device interacting with the network element may be carried in the second indication information.
As an example, if the location server is an LMF, the second indication information may carry an identifier of an AMF network element interacting with the LMF, or may also be an identifier of other core network devices interacting with the LMF.
In the sixth case:
the second indication information may be a combination of any two or three or four or five of the aforementioned five cases. The contents of the specific combination are not described herein again.
It should be noted that the second indication information may be dedicated signaling, for example, GTP configuration signaling; the second indication information may also be an LPP message, or information obtained by encapsulating the LPP message in a GTP encapsulation format, or the second indication information may also be an indication obtained by adding a certain field to any one of messages interacted between the AMF network element and the first network device, and in this embodiment of the present application, a specific form of the second indication information is not limited.
In addition, it should be noted that, in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the first indication information may be used to indicate not only the type of the first message but also the location server determined by the AMF network element, and therefore, from this viewpoint, the first indication information and the second indication information may also be the same message.
Alternatively, the second network device may implicitly indicate the location server by whether to send the second indication information. For example, when the second network device sends the second indication information, it indicates that the location server is a network element having a location function in the core network, such as an LMF. When the second network device does not send the second indication information, it indicates that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network, for example, the access network device 1.
Or, the network element of the positioning function of the positioning server located in the access network is defined by a protocol or configured by equipment. The configuration is performed, for example, by an OAM functional network element.
It should be noted that, in the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the second indication information is generated and sent to the access network device 1 by using the core network device (for example, the AMF network element), but in an actual application process, the second indication information may not be obtained through steps S41 to S42.
As an example, the second indication information may be obtained from other access network devices. For example, after generating the second indication information, the AMF network element may first send the second indication information to other access network devices, for example, the access network device 2, and then the access network device 2 forwards the second indication information to the access network device 1.
As another example, the second indication information may also be obtained from the configuration information. For example, the configuration information may be configuration information sent by the core network device to the access network device 1, or may be configuration information pre-stored in the memory by the access network device 1, and may be acquired from OAM configuration, for example.
As another example, the second indication information may also be predefined, such as a protocol definition. For example, using the LMF as a location server for the terminal device, the transmission of location messages between the terminal device and the base station is carried by RRC messages. It should be understood that the carrying through the RRC message may be directly including the positioning related information in the RRC message, or the LPP message may be carried in the RRC message.
In the embodiment of the present application, the manner of acquiring the second indication information is not limited. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the second indication information is obtained from the AMF network element.
And S43, the first network equipment determines the positioning server according to the second indication information.
After the access network device 1 receives the second indication information, or after the second indication information is acquired, the positioning server may be determined according to the second indication information.
As can be known from the introduction of the second indication information in step S42, the second indication information may include various situations, and therefore, the access network device may determine the location server according to the second indication information in various ways, which may specifically include, but is not limited to, the following six types:
in a first determination manner, the access network device 1 determines the location server according to the identifier of the location server carried in the second indication information.
As an example, if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the positioning server included in the second indication information is the identifier of the first network device, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 1.
As another example, if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the access network device 1, and the identifier of the positioning server is the identifier of the network element with the positioning function in the core network, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the network element with the positioning function in the core network.
For example, the access network device 1 may obtain an identifier of a core network device (e.g., an LMF), and if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the location server in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the access network device itself, the access network device 1 determines whether the identifier of the location server is the same as the identifier of the LMF, and if so, the access network device 1 determines that the location server is the LMF.
As another example, if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the access network device 1, and the identifier of the positioning server is different from the identifier of the network element with positioning function in the core network, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is a network element with positioning function in the access network except for the first network device, and the identifier of the network element with positioning function in the access network except for the first network device is the same as the identifier of the positioning server indicated in the second indication information.
For example, the access network device 1 can obtain the identifier of another access network device (e.g., the access network device 2), if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the positioning server in the second indication information is different from the identifier of itself, the access network device 1 determines whether the identifier of the positioning server is the same as the identifier of the access network device 2, and if so, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 2. It should be understood that access network device 2 refers to an access network device that is different from access network device 1 and does not refer to a particular access network device.
In a second determination manner, the access network device 1 determines the location server according to the type of the location server carried in the second indication information.
In a third determination mode, the access network device 1 determines the location server according to the identifier of the location session carried in the second indication information.
The second to third determination manners are the same as the second to third determination manners in step S33, and are not described herein again.
The fourth determination method:
the access network device 1 determines the location server according to the identifier of the cell supported by the location server carried in the second indication information.
As an example, if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the access network device 1, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 1.
As another example, if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server included in the second indication information is different from the identifier of the cell supported by the access network device 1, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the access network except for the access network device 1, and the identifier of the cell supported by the network element having a positioning function in the access network except for the first network device is the same as the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server indicated in the second indication information.
For example, the access network device 1 can obtain the identifiers of the cells supported by other access network devices (e.g., the access network device 2), if the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server in the second indication information is different from the identifier of any one of the cells supported by itself, the access network device 1 determines whether the identifier of the cell supported by the positioning server is the same as the identifier of one of the cells supported by the access network device 2, and if the identifiers are the same, the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 2.
The fifth determination method:
and the access network equipment 1 determines the positioning server according to the identifier of the core network equipment which is carried in the second indication information and interacts with the positioning server.
As an example, if the access network device 1 determines that the second indication information includes an identifier of a core network device interacting with the positioning server, the access network device determines that the positioning server is a network element having a positioning function in the core network.
For example, the access network device 1 may obtain a range in which the identifier of the access network device is located, and a range in which the identifier of the core network device is located, for example, the range in which the identifier of the access network device is located is 0 to 256, and the identifier of the core network device is greater than 256, and when the access network device 1 determines that the identifier of the network device included in the second indication information is greater than 256, the access network device 1 may determine that the location server is a network element having a location function in the core network, for example, an LMF.
Or after obtaining the identifier of the network device indicated in the second indication information, the access network device 1 may compare the identifier of each access network device with the identifiers of the access network devices to determine whether the identifiers are the same, and if the identifier of the network device is different from the identifier of any one access network device, the access network device 1 may determine that the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the core network, for example, an LMF.
Of course, the access network device 1 may also determine the positioning server in other manners, which is not limited herein.
S44, the terminal device sends the first message, and the first network device receives the first message.
In the embodiment of the application, the first message is used for determining the position of the terminal equipment by the positioning server. The description of the first message is the same as that of the first message in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and is not repeated here.
In addition, the manner of acquiring the first message and sending the first message by the terminal device is similar to that in step S34, and is not described herein again.
It should be noted that, because the terminal device does not know whether the positioning server is a network element with a positioning function in the access network or a network element with a positioning function in the core network, in step S44, the first message may only be an RRC message, or may be a message obtained by performing RRC encapsulation on an LPP message, or the first message is a type of other message that can be identified by the access network device.
And S45, the first network device determines to process the first message according to the second indication information.
When the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 1 according to the second indication information, the access network device 1 positions the terminal device according to the first message.
S46, the first network device determines to forward the first message according to the second indication information.
When the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is not the access network device 1 according to the second indication information, the access network device 1 forwards the first message to the positioning server.
For example, when the access network device 1 determines that the positioning server is the access network device 2, the access network device 1 sends a first message to the access network device 2, so as to determine the location of the terminal device through the access network device 2; when the access network device 1 determines that the location server is an LMF, the access network device 1 sends the first message to the AMF network element, and forwards the first message to the LMF through the AMF network element, so as to determine the location of the terminal device through the LMF. In fig. 4, the access network device 1 forwards the first message to the AMF network element as an example.
In addition, since step S45 and step S46 need to be executed alternatively, step S46 is indicated by a broken line in fig. 4 by taking step S45 as an example.
In the above technical solution, after receiving a first message sent by a terminal device and used for determining a location of the terminal device, an access network device may determine whether to directly process the first message or need to forward the first message to other devices according to second indication information used for indicating a location server. In this way, when the second indication information indicates that the positioning server is the access network device, the access network device may determine the location of the terminal device directly according to the first message after receiving the first message, so that the first message may not be forwarded, and the delay overhead caused by the forwarding process may be reduced.
The embodiment shown in fig. 4 illustrates how the core network device and the access network device should do when there are network elements with positioning functions in both the access network and the core network. Next, referring to fig. 5, a flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.
In the following description, taking an example that the method is applied to the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, that is, the first network device described below may be an access network device 1 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the second network device described below may be an access network device 2 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the third network device described below may be an LMF in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the terminal device described below may be a terminal device in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the network element having a positioning function in the access network described below may be the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, the network element having a positioning function in the core network described below may be an LMF, and the core network device described below may be an AMF network element.
In addition, the method can be executed by two communication apparatuses, and for the description of the two communication apparatuses, reference is made to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.
For convenience of description, in the following, the method is performed by the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 as an example, that is, the first communication device is the access network device 1, and the second communication device is the access network device 2 as an example.
S501, the first network device sends a second request message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the second request message.
In this embodiment, the second request message is used to obtain capability information of the second network device.
At the first time, the cell a of the access network device 1 provides service for the terminal device, that is, the cell a of the access network device 1 is a serving cell of the terminal device. When the location of the terminal device moves, for example, the terminal device moves from the cell a of the access network device 1 to the cell of the access network device 2 at the second time, a cell handover procedure is triggered. At this time, the access network device 1 may send a second request message to the access network device 2 to obtain the capability information of the access network device 2 to determine whether the terminal device can be handed over to the cell of the access network device 2.
As an example, in the second request message, an identifier of the access network device 1 may be carried, for example, an ID or an index number of the access network device 1.
S502, the second network equipment sends a second response message, and the first network equipment receives the second response message.
In this embodiment of the application, the second response message includes capability information of the second network device, where the capability information includes a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device, and of course, the second response message may further include other content, for example, an identifier of the second network device, for example, an ID, an index number, and the like of the second network device, and may further include information for indicating whether a positioning function of the second network device passes authentication of an LMF, and the like, which is not limited herein.
It should be noted that steps S501 to S502 are optional steps, i.e., are not necessarily performed, and are indicated by dotted lines in fig. 5.
S503, the first network device sends a first request message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the first request message.
When the access network device 1 determines that the positioning accuracy and/or the positioning mode of the access network device 2 meet the positioning requirement of the terminal device according to the capability information in the second response message, the access network device 1 determines to request the access network device 2 to position the terminal device, and thus the access network device 1 sends the first request message to the access network device 2.
In this embodiment, the first request message is a handover request, and is used to handover a serving base station of a terminal device from an access network device 1 to an access network device 2. Of course, before the access network device 1 sends the first request message to the access network device 2, other determination processes may also be included, for example, it may be determined whether the received power of the cell reference signal of the access network device 2 by the terminal device meets the handover condition according to the reported measurement of the terminal device, and the determination process is the same as in the prior art, and is not described herein again.
It should be noted that the first request message further includes a positioning service switching instruction, where the positioning service switching instruction is used to indicate that the terminal device is performing a positioning service, and request to switch the positioning service of the terminal device to the access network device 2. In this case, the first request message comprises an identification of the positioning server of the terminal device and/or positioning context information for the access network device 1 to position the terminal device. At the current moment, if the positioning server of the terminal device is the access network device 1, the identifier of the positioning server is the identifier of the access network device 1. Of course, the positioning server may also be another access network device that the terminal device accesses before accessing the access network device 1, which is not limited herein.
Next, the positioning context information will be explained.
The positioning context information comprises at least one of the following information:
(1) the access network device 1 is a positioning technology used for positioning the terminal device.
For example, the positioning technology may be an OTDOA positioning technology, a GNSS positioning technology, an assisted-GNSS (a-GNSS) positioning technology, or an ECID positioning technology, or may be other positioning technologies, which is not limited herein.
(2) The required positioning accuracy of the terminal device.
For example, the positioning accuracy may be a cell level accuracy, or may be 100 meters, or may be 50 meters, or the like.
(3) The access network device 1 locates the terminal device using the information.
For example, if the access network device 1 locates the terminal device by using the OTDOA positioning technology, the information used when the access network device 1 locates the terminal device may be Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) configuration information of different sending sites and identification information of the sending sites; the access network device 1 locates the terminal device by using the ECID location technology, and the information used when the access network device 1 locates the terminal device is the time difference between the terminal device and the serving cell for receiving and transmitting signals, RSRP, a probe signal for the serving cell, and the like.
The information used by the access network device 1 to locate the terminal device may be related to the positioning technology and/or the positioning accuracy used by the access network device 1, which is not illustrated here.
(4) And (5) reporting the measurement result by the terminal equipment.
For example, the measurement result of the RSTD reported by the terminal device, the measurement result of the time difference between the terminal device and the serving cell for transmitting and receiving signals, the measurement result of the RSRP, and the like may be included. The reported measurement result is related to the measurement configuration of the access network device 1 to the terminal device.
(5) The access network device 1 is used for positioning the terminal device.
For example, a time reference (time reference), satellite ephemeris (satellite ephemeris), reference locations (reference locations), and the like may be included.
Of course, the positioning context information may also include other information, and is not limited herein. The positioning context information may also be referred to by other names, for example, positioning information or context information, and the name of the positioning context information is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.
It should be understood that the above-mentioned location service handover indication may be an explicit field in the handover request message for indicating the location service, or may be an implicit field indicating that the location service needs to be handed over. The implicit indication of the location service handover may be identified by a location service related parameter in the handover request message. When the positioning context information related to the positioning service is contained in the switching request message, the positioning service switching exists, otherwise, the positioning service switching does not exist.
S504, the second network device sends a third request message to a network element with a positioning function in the core network, and the network element with the positioning function in the core network receives the third request message.
In this embodiment of the present application, the third request message is used for a network element having a positioning function in a core network to determine whether to approve positioning of the terminal device by the second network device.
After receiving the first request message sent by the access network device 1, the access network device 2 may send the third request message to the LMF, so that the LMF authenticates the handover request and queries whether the LMF agrees to the handover of the location service.
In order to facilitate the LMF to determine whether to approve the switching of the location service, the third request message may include an identifier of the terminal device and/or an identifier of the first network device and/or an identifier of a serving cell where the terminal device is located, and of course, other information may also be included, for example, the location accuracy required by the terminal device may also be included, which is not limited herein.
Step S504 is not essential. In the NR system, since the gNB includes a CU and a DU, one CU can control one or more DUs. If the handover is handover between CUs, the bearer needs to be updated, that is, the third request message is used to inquire whether a network element with a positioning function in the core network agrees to positioning service handover. And if the positioning service switching is agreed, updating the bearing of the network element with the positioning function in the core network and the access network to the second network equipment, or updating the control signaling to the second network equipment.
This is not necessary if the handover of the cell does not cause a change in the CU.
S505, the network element with the positioning function in the core network sends a third response message, and the second network device receives the third response message.
After receiving the third request message, the LMF may determine whether to approve the switching of the location service according to information carried in the third request message.
As an example, the LMF may obtain, from the third request message, an identifier of the source location server (i.e., an identifier of the access network device 1), so as to obtain an amount of load of the location service in the access network device 1 and the access network device 2.
If the load capacity of the access network equipment 1 is determined to be smaller than that of the access network equipment 2 by the LMF, the LMF can refuse the switching of the positioning service; if the load capacity of the access network device 2 is smaller than that of the access network device 1, the LMF may agree to the switching of the location service. Of course, if the LMF determines that the load amounts of the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 both exceed the preset load amount, the LMF may determine that the LMF or other access network devices having the positioning function position the terminal device.
The LMF may also determine whether to approve the switching of the location service according to other information, for example, the priority of the terminal device, the priority of the access network device, and the like, which is not limited in this application.
After obtaining the determination result according to the information carried in the third request message, the LMF may send a third response message to the access network device 2, and indicate the determination result of the LMF through the third response message. The determination result is used to indicate whether the LMF agrees to locate the terminal device by the access network device 2, that is, whether the LMF agrees to switch the location service, and may also be used to indicate whether the LMF locates the terminal device.
It should be noted that steps S504 to S505 are optional steps, i.e., are not necessarily performed, and are indicated by dashed lines in fig. 5.
S506, the second network equipment generates a first response message.
In this embodiment, the second network device may generate the first response message according to the third response message.
After receiving the third response message sent by the LMF, the access network device 2 generates a first response message corresponding to the first request message according to the determination result indicated in the third response message or according to the relevant parameter in the first request message after receiving the first request message.
Specifically, taking the third response message as an example, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following three cases according to the difference of the determination result indicated in the third response message:
In the first case, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device.
When the determination result indicated by the third response message is that the LMF agrees to switch the location service, the first response message generated by the access network device 2 may be: a message indicating the positioning of the terminal device by the access network device 2.
Since the auxiliary information used by the access network device 2 and the access network device 1 may be different when the access network device 2 is used to locate the terminal device, in order to ensure that the terminal device can be accurately located, the access network device 2 may further carry the auxiliary information required by the access network device 2 when the terminal device is located in the first response message. For the description of the auxiliary information, please refer to the corresponding content in step S503, which is not described herein again.
In the second case, the first response message is used to instruct the third network device to locate the terminal device.
In this embodiment, the third network device is a network element having a positioning function in an access network and a core network, except for the first network device and the second network device.
For example, in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, if the network element having the positioning function in the core network is an LMF, the third network device may be an LMF; alternatively, if the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D further includes another access network device with a positioning function, the third network device may be the other access network device.
Of course, the third network device may be determined from the third response message. When the LMF does not agree to locate the terminal device by the access network device 2, the LMF may indicate a network element for locating the terminal device in the third response message.
If the network element used for positioning the terminal equipment is indicated to be the LMF in the third response message, the third network equipment is the LMF; if the network element for positioning the terminal device is indicated in the third response message to be another access network device in the access network except the access network device 1 and the access network device 2, the third network device is the another access network device.
In a third case, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is rejected from being located by a network device other than the first network device.
In this case, the first response message may also be understood as that the first response message is used to indicate that the handover of the location service is rejected. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the serving base station of the terminal device is switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, and the switching is performed together with the switching of the positioning service of the terminal device, that is, the positioning service of the terminal device is synchronously switched along with the switching of the serving base station of the terminal device.
Then, when the first response message indicates that the handover of the location service is rejected, the terminal device cannot handover the serving base station, and thus, in this case, the first response message is equivalent to indicating that the handover procedure is erroneous.
In a possible implementation, in a manner defined by a protocol, when a handover occurs to a terminal device, the location service function is not changed, and all other bearers and connections to the LMF are handed over to a target base station, that is, the access network device 2. At this time, the original access network device 1 or the network element for the location service function in the access network may not be changed. After the switching is completed, the access network device 2 sends the received information related to the positioning to the access network device 1 or a network element used for the positioning service function in the access network, and after the access network device 1 or the network element used for the positioning service function in the access network completes the positioning according to the information related to the positioning, the positioning result is sent to the access network device 2. Optionally, the positioning result is sent to the LMF by access network device 2.
It should be noted that, in this case, when the access network device 1 sends the first request message to the access network device 2, another indication information may also be carried in the first request message, where the another indication information is used to indicate whether the access network device 1 allows such a handover of the access network device 2, that is, the another indication information is used to indicate whether the location service function may not be changed when the terminal device performs a handover. If the further indication information indicates that such a handover is allowed, the access network device 2 may perform the above implementation procedure.
S507, the second network device sends the first response message to the first network device, and the first network device receives the first response message.
S508, the first network device forwards the first response message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first response message.
After the access network device 1 receives the first response message, the access network device 1 may send the first response message or the positioning related information in the first response message to the access network device 1.
For example, when the first response message indicates that the second network device locates the terminal device, and the first response message includes the auxiliary information required by the access network device 2 for locating, the access network device 1 may send the obtained auxiliary information of the access network device 2 to the terminal device through RRC reconfiguration or a corresponding RRC signaling, and may indicate to the terminal device to use the access network device 2 for locating.
When the first response message is used to instruct the third network device to locate the terminal device, the access network device 1 may instruct the terminal device to use the third network device for location.
When the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is rejected to be located by using a network device other than the first network device, the access network device 1 may send an error (error) message to the terminal device to notify that the terminal device cannot perform the handover.
It should be noted that step S508 is an optional step, i.e. it is not necessary to perform it, and is indicated by a dashed line in fig. 5.
S509, the first network device sends a handover request according to the first response message.
Specifically, the handover requests sent by the access network device 1 are different due to the difference of the first response messages.
When the first response message is the first case in step S506, that is, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device, and the second network device is the access network device 2, the access network device 1 sends a handover request to the access network device 2.
When the first response message is the second case in step S506, that is, the first response message is used to instruct the third network device to locate the terminal device, and if the third network device is an LMF, the access network device 1 sends a handover request to the LMF.
When the first response message is the third case in step S506, that is, the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is rejected to use the network device other than the first network device for positioning, the access network device 1 does not send the handover request, or the sent handover request indicates that the location service function of the location service is not switched. When the location service function of the location service is not switched, the information of the location service function may be included in the handover request, and specifically may include, for example, CID, or PCI, or ID of the location service function.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the access network device 1 sends a handover request to the access network device 2 as an example.
In addition, for example, when the access network device 1 sends the handover request to the access network device 2, if the access network device 1 further includes a first message that has not received an Acknowledgement (ACK), for example, an LPP message, the access network device 1 may carry information such as the first message or the number of retransmissions of the first message in the handover request.
Alternatively, after transmitting the handover request, the access network device 1 may transmit the first message or information such as the number of times of retransmission of the first message to the access network device 2.
S510, the second network device sends, to a network element having a positioning function in the core network, indication information for indicating that the positioning service is successfully switched.
When the access network device 2 receives the switching request sent by the access network device 1 and successfully switches the positioning service of the terminal device to the access network device 2, the access network device 2 may send indication information to the LMF to confirm that the positioning service is successfully switched.
It should be noted that step S510 is an optional step, i.e. it is not necessary to perform it, and is indicated by a dashed line in fig. 5.
In the above technical solution, when the terminal device is in a mobile state, the access network device providing services for the terminal device can implement switching of the positioning service of the terminal device through interaction with other access network devices, so that the continuity of the positioning service of the terminal device in the mobile state can be maintained.
Next, referring to fig. 6, a flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the switching of the location service of the terminal device is realized through interaction between the access network device providing service for the terminal device and the network element with the location function in the core network.
In the following description, taking an example that the method is applied to the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, that is, the first network device described below may be an access network device 1 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the second network device described below may be an LMF in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the third network device described below may be an access network device 2 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the terminal device described below may be a terminal device in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the network element having a positioning function in the access network described below may be the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, the network element having a positioning function in the core network described below may be an LMF, and the core network device described below may be an AMF network element.
In addition, the method can be executed by two communication apparatuses, and for the description of the two communication apparatuses, reference is made to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.
For convenience of description, in the following, it is exemplified that the method is performed by the access network apparatus 1 and the LMF, that is, the first communication device is the access network apparatus 1, and the second communication device is the LMF.
S61, the first network device sends a first request message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the first request message.
The first request message is similar to the first request message in step S503, and is not described in detail here.
It should be noted that, unlike the first request message in step S503, the first request message is sent to another access network device, that is, access network device 2, and in this embodiment, the first request message is sent to the LMF to request the LMF to use another network device (for example, the LMF or access network device 2) to locate the terminal device.
In this case, the first request message may also carry a reason why the access network device 1 requests handover. For example, the reason for requesting handover may be that a terminal device performs cell handover, or an excessive load amount of positioning service in the access network device 1 occurs, or other errors occur, which is not limited herein.
And S62, the second network equipment determines the network equipment for positioning the terminal equipment.
As an example, after receiving the first request message sent by the access network device 1, the LMF may obtain a load amount of the positioning service in each access network device, so as to determine, from at least one access network device whose load amount is smaller than a preset threshold, that one access network device is a network device for positioning the terminal device. And if the load capacity of each access network device is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, determining to use the LMF to position the terminal device.
For example, if the LMF determines that the load amount of the access network device 2 is smaller than the preset threshold, the LMF determines to use the access network device 2 to locate the terminal device.
As another example, the LMF may determine the network device that locates the terminal device based on the serving cell of the terminal device.
For example, after the LMF obtains the ID of the terminal device, the LMF may determine, according to the ID of the terminal device, a serving cell to which the terminal device is currently accessed, and if the serving cell is a cell corresponding to the access network device 2, the LMF determines to use the access network device 2 to locate the terminal device. And if the serving cell where the terminal equipment is located cannot be determined, determining to use the LMF to position the terminal equipment.
For convenience of explanation, the LMF determines that the network device for locating the terminal device is the third network device (i.e., the access network device 2) in the following description as an example.
S63, the second network device sends a fourth request message to the third network device, and the third network device receives the fourth request message.
In this embodiment of the present application, the fourth request message is used to instruct the third network device to locate the terminal device.
When the LMF determines to use the access network device 2 to locate the terminal device, the LMF may send a request message to the access network device 2 to request the access network device 2 to locate the terminal device.
The fourth request message may include an identifier of the terminal device, and/or a positioning accuracy required by the terminal device, and/or an identifier of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located.
S64, the third network device sends a fourth response message, and the second network device receives the fourth response message.
In this embodiment of the application, the fourth response message is used to indicate whether the third network device agrees to locate the terminal device.
As an example, the access network device 2 may determine whether to approve the positioning of the terminal device according to the information carried in the fourth request message. For example, the access network device 2 may determine whether the positioning accuracy that it can provide meets the positioning accuracy required by the terminal device, and if so, the access network device 2 may agree to position the terminal device, otherwise, the access network device 2 may refuse to position the terminal device.
Of course, the access network device 2 may also adopt other determination manners, and is not limited herein.
And S65, the second network equipment generates a first response message.
As an example, the LMF may generate the first response message from the fourth response message sent by access network device 2. For example, if the access network device 2 agrees to locate the terminal device, the first response message is used to indicate that the access network device 2 is used to locate the terminal device; if the access network device 2 refuses to locate the terminal device, the first response message is used for indicating that the LMF is used for locating the terminal device.
Of course, the LMF may also generate the first response message directly without using the fourth response message. For example, after receiving the first request message sent by the access network device 1, the LMF determines to use the LMF to locate the terminal device, and then the LMF directly generates the first response message and indicates to use the LMF to locate the terminal device through the first response message.
In this case, steps S63 and S64 are optional steps, i.e. not necessarily performed, and are indicated by dashed lines in fig. 6.
S66, the second network device sends the first response message to the first network device, and the first network device receives the first response message.
S67, the first network device forwards the first response message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first response message.
S68, the first network device sends a handover request according to the first response message.
Steps S66 to S68 are similar to steps S507 to S509, and are not repeated herein. In fig. 6, an example is given in which the access network device 1 transmits a handover request to the access network device 2.
In the above technical solution, when the terminal device is in a mobile state, the access network device providing services for the terminal device may implement switching of the location service of the terminal device through interaction with the LMF, so that the continuity of the location service of the terminal device in the mobile state may be maintained. Further, when the access network device cannot locate the terminal device, the location can be switched back to the LMF, thereby further ensuring the continuity of the location service.
In the embodiments shown in fig. 5 and fig. 6, when the terminal device is in a moving state, the switching of the access network device for providing service to the terminal device and the switching of the positioning service are performed synchronously, that is, when the access network device for providing service to the terminal device is switched, the positioning server for positioning the terminal device is also switched. However, in practical applications, the handover of the access network device providing service for the terminal device and the handover of the location service may be two asynchronous processes, that is, the two processes are independent.
Next, referring to fig. 7, a flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.
In the following description, taking an example that the method is applied to the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, that is, the first network device described below may be an access network device 1 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the second network device described below may be an LMF in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the third network device described below may be an access network device 2 in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the terminal device described below may be a terminal device in the positioning architecture shown in fig. 2D, the network element having a positioning function in the access network described below may be the access network device 1 or the access network device 2, the network element having a positioning function in the core network described below may be an LMF, and the core network device described below may be an AMF network element.
In addition, the method can be executed by two communication apparatuses, and for the description of the two communication apparatuses, reference is made to the embodiment shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.
For convenience of description, in the following, the method is performed by the access network device 1 and the access network device 2 as an example, that is, the first communication device is the access network device 1, and the second communication device is the access network device 2 as an example.
S701, the first network device sends a second request message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the second request message.
S702, the second network device sends a second response message, and the first network device receives the second response message.
Steps S701 to S702 are similar to steps S501 to S502, and are not described herein again.
S703, the first network device sends a first request message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the first request message.
The first request message is similar to the first request message in step S503, and is not described herein again.
Unlike the first request message in step S503, in this embodiment of the application, the first request message further includes a location service indication, where the location service indication is used to indicate whether to use the second network device to locate the terminal device.
That is to say, in the embodiment of the present application, the access network device that provides a service for the terminal device is switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, and the two processes are independent of the switching of the positioning service of the terminal device. Only the access network device providing the service for the terminal device may be switched, or only the positioning service of the terminal device may be switched, or the access network device providing the service for the terminal device and the positioning service of the terminal device may be synchronously switched.
It should be noted that, in this case, the first request message may carry indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that the access network device 1 allows the access network device 2 to switch only to the access network device that provides service for the terminal device without switching to the positioning service, or to indicate that the access network device 2 is allowed to switch only to the positioning service, or to allow the access network device 2 to switch to the positioning service and the access network device that provides service for the terminal device simultaneously.
It should be understood that the location service indication may be a field in the first request message for indicating whether to use the second network device for locating the terminal device, or may be an implicit indication. And if the indication is implicit, indicating whether the terminal equipment is positioned by using the second network equipment or not by including positioning related information in the first request message.
For example, the information of the location service function may be information of the access network device 1, or information of another access network device, such as an ID of the access network device. If the information of the location service function contained in the first request message is the access network device 2, it indicates that the location service function is switched to the access network device 2.
When the location service function is not changed during the handover process, the access network device 2 may send the parameter of the location service to the access network device 1 or the network element with the location service function before handover, and send the location result to the access network device 2 after completing the location.
S704, the second network device sends a third request message to a network element with a positioning function in the core network, and the network element with the positioning function in the core network receives the third request message.
S705, the network element with the positioning function in the core network sends a third response message, and the second network device receives the third response message.
S706, the second network equipment generates a first response message.
In this embodiment, the second network device may generate the first response message according to the third response message.
Specifically, depending on the determination result indicated in the third response message, the first response message may include, but is not limited to, the following four cases:
in the first case, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device.
In this case, the first response message is the same as the first case of the first response message in step S506, and is not described herein again.
In the second case, the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device rejects to locate the terminal device, but supports forwarding of the location message, where the location message is used to determine the location of the terminal device, that is, the first message in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.
That is, the access network device serving the terminal device may be switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, but the location service of the terminal device is still provided by the access network device 1. And after the access network device providing service for the terminal device is switched to the access network device 2, the positioning message sent by the terminal device is first sent to the access network device 2, and at this time, the access network device 2 may forward the positioning message to the access network device 1.
In a third case, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to refuse to locate the terminal device, and refuse to forward the location message.
That is, the access network device serving the terminal device may be switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, but the location service of the terminal device is still provided by the access network device 1. And after the access network device providing service for the terminal device is switched to the access network device 2, the access network device 2 will not forward the positioning message sent by the terminal device to the access network device 1.
In a fourth case, the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element having a location function in an access network or a core network, for example, an LMF or an access network device in the access network except for the access network device 1 and the access network device 2.
In this case, the first response message is the same as the second case of the first response message in step S506, and is not described again here.
S707, the second network device sends the first response message to the first network device, and the first network device receives the first response message.
S708, the first network device forwards the first response message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first response message.
Step S707 to step S708 are similar to step S507 to step S508, and are not described herein again.
S709, the first network device sends a handover request according to the first response message.
Specifically, the handover requests sent by the access network device 1 are different due to the difference of the first response messages.
When the first response message is the first case in step S706, that is, the first response message is used to instruct the second network device to locate the terminal device, because the second network device is the access network device 2, the access network device 1 sends a handover request to the access network device 2, where the handover request is used to request that the access network device providing service for the terminal device is switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, and the location service of the terminal device is switched to the access network device 2.
When the first response message is the second case in step S706, that is, the second network device refuses to perform positioning on the terminal device, but supports forwarding of the positioning message, because the second network device is the access network device 2, the access network device 1 may send, to the access network device 2, an access service switching request for requesting that the access network device providing service for the terminal device be switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, without switching the positioning service.
When the first response message is the third case in step S706, that is, the second network device refuses to locate the terminal device and refuse to forward the location message, because the second network device is the access network device 2, the access network device 1 may send, to the access network device 2, an access service switching request for requesting that the access network device providing service for the terminal device be switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, and send a location switching request to the LMF, requesting the LMF to locate the terminal device.
When the first response message is the fourth case in step S706, that is, the third network device locates the terminal device, and the third network device is a network element with a locating function in the access network or the core network, the access network device 1 may send, to the access network device 2, an access service switching request for requesting that the access network device providing services for the terminal device be switched from the access network device 1 to the third network device, and a location service switching request for requesting the third network device to locate the terminal device.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, for example, the access network device 1 sends a request to the access network device 2 for switching the access network device that provides the service for the terminal device from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2 without switching the positioning service.
S710, the terminal device sends a positioning message to the second network device, and the second network device receives the positioning message.
When the access network device providing service for the terminal device is switched from the access network device 1 to the access network device 2, since the access network device 2 rejects to locate the terminal device but supports to forward the location message, the location message may be sent to the access network device 2 after the terminal device generates the location message. The positioning message may carry the identifier of the access network device 1, or may not carry the identifier of the access network device 1, and the access network device 2 knows that the positioning service function is located in the access network device 1.
The description of the positioning message is similar to the first message in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and the positioning message is a type of a message that can be identified by the access network device, and is not described herein again.
S711, the second network device sends the positioning message to the first network device, and the first network device receives the positioning message.
After receiving the positioning message, the access network device 2 forwards the positioning message to the access network device 1 according to the identifier carried in the positioning message.
And S712, the first network device performs positioning calculation on the terminal device according to the positioning message.
In this case, the first network device performs positioning calculation on the terminal device only according to the positioning message, which is equivalent to that the second network device provides a positioning function for the terminal device by using the positioning calculation function of the first network device.
S713, the first network device sends the positioning result of the terminal device to the second network device, and the second network device receives the positioning result.
S714, the second network equipment sends the positioning result to the AMF network element or the LMF, and the AMF network element or the LMF receives the positioning result.
It should be noted that, as another example, after determining the positioning result, the first network device (i.e., the access network device 1) may also directly send the positioning result to the AMF network element. When the access network device 1 sends the positioning result to the AMF network element or the LMF, the positioning result may carry the ID of the terminal device, where the ID of the terminal device may be different from the ID of the terminal device when the terminal device is connected to the access network device 1, for example, when the ID of the terminal device when the terminal device is connected to the access network device 1 is 0, after the terminal device is connected to the access network device 2, the access network device 1 may add 1 to the ID of the terminal device after positioning the terminal device, and then use the processed ID to indicate the terminal device.
Steps S710 to S714 are optional steps, i.e. not necessarily performed. Indicated by dashed lines in fig. 7.
In the above technical solution, when the terminal device is in a mobile state, the positioning service of the terminal device may not be switched, so that when the terminal device is in the mobile state, the previously accessed access network device can position the terminal device, and the continuity of the positioning service of the terminal device can be ensured.
In addition, it should be noted that the second network device may also be a core network device, for example, an LMF, and correspondingly, the third network device is an access network device, for example, access network device 2. In this case, the specific implementation process of the communication method may be similar to the embodiments shown in fig. 6 and fig. 7, and is not described herein again.
In the embodiments provided in the present application, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application is introduced from the perspective of the positioning server, the access network device, the terminal, and the interaction among the three. In order to implement the functions in the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the positioning server, the access network device, and the at least one terminal may include a hardware structure and/or a software module, and the functions are implemented in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure and a software module. Whether any of the above-described functions is implemented as a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the technical solution.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 800. The communication device 800 may be a terminal device, and may implement the function of the terminal device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 800 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function of the terminal device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 may be a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. The communication apparatus 800 may be implemented by a system-on-chip. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The communication device 800 may include a processing module 801 and a communication module 802.
Processing module 801 may be used to perform step S33 in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and/or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein.
The communication module 802 is used for the communication device 800 to communicate with other modules, and may be a circuit, a device, an interface, a bus, a software module, a transceiver, or any other device capable of realizing communication.
The communication module 802 may be used to perform steps S32 and S34 in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and/or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein.
All relevant contents of each step related to the above method embodiment may be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and are not described herein again.
Fig. 9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 900. The communication apparatus 900 may be a first network device, and may implement the function of the first network device in the method provided in this embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 900 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting the first network device to implement the function of the first network device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 900 may be a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. The communication apparatus 900 may be implemented by a system-on-chip. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The communication device 900 may include a processing module 901 and a communication module 902.
The processing module 901 may be used to perform step S43 and step S45 in the embodiment shown in fig. 4, or to control the communication module 902 to perform steps in the embodiments shown in fig. 5 or 6, or to perform step S712 in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, and/or to support other processes for the techniques described herein.
The communication module 902 may be configured to perform steps S42 and S46 in the embodiment shown in fig. 4, or to perform steps S501 to S503 and S507 to S509 in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, or to perform steps S61 and S66 to S68 in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, or to perform steps S701 to S703, S707 to S709, S711 and S713 in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, and/or to support other processes of the techniques described herein. The communication module 902 is used for the communication device 900 to communicate with other modules, and may be a circuit, a device, an interface, a bus, a software module, a transceiver, or any other device capable of implementing communication.
All relevant contents of each step related to the above method embodiment may be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and are not described herein again.
Fig. 10 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus 1000. The communication apparatus 1000 may be a second network device, and can implement the function of the second network device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 1000 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting a second network device to implement the function of the second network device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 may be a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. The communication apparatus 1000 may be implemented by a system-on-chip. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The communication device 1000 may include a processing module 1001 and a communication module 1002.
The processing module 1001 may be used to perform step S506 in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, or to perform step S706 in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, and/or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein.
The communication module 1002 may be configured to perform steps S501 to S505, S507, and S509 to S510 in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, or to perform steps S63 to S64 and S68 in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, or to perform steps S701 to S705, S707, S709 to S711, and S713 to S714 in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, and/or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein. The communication module 1002 is used for the communication device 1000 to communicate with other modules, and may be a circuit, a device, an interface, a bus, a software module, a transceiver, or any other device capable of implementing communication.
All relevant contents of each step related to the above method embodiment may be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and are not described herein again.
The division of the modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic, and only one logical function division is provided, and in actual implementation, there may be another division manner, and in addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated in one processor, may also exist alone physically, or may also be integrated in one module by two or more modules. The integrated module can be realized in a hardware mode, and can also be realized in a software functional module mode.
Fig. 11 shows a communication apparatus 1100 provided in this embodiment of the present application, where the communication apparatus 1100 may be a terminal device in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and is capable of implementing a function of the terminal device in the method provided in this embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 1100 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function of the terminal device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 may be a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a hardware implementation, the communication module 802 may be a transceiver, and the transceiver is integrated in the communication device 1100 to form the communication interface 1110.
The communications apparatus 1100 includes at least one processor 1120 for implementing or supporting the communications apparatus 1100 to implement the functions of the access network device in the methods provided by the embodiments of the present application. For example, the processor 1120 may determine the type of the first message according to the first indication information, which is specifically described in the detailed description of the method example and is not described herein again.
The communications device 1100 may also include at least one memory 1130 for storing program instructions and/or data. A memory 1130 is coupled to the processor 1120. The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or a communication connection between devices, units or modules, and may be an electrical, mechanical or other form for information interaction between the devices, units or modules. The processor 1120 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1130. Processor 1120 may execute program instructions stored in memory 1130. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.
The communications apparatus 1100 can also include a communication interface 1110 for communicating with other devices over a transmission medium such that the apparatus used in the communications apparatus 1100 can communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device may be a network device. Processor 1120 can transceive data using communication interface 1110. The communication interface 1110 may specifically be a transceiver.
The specific connection medium among the communication interface 1110, the processor 1120, and the memory 1130 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 1130, the processor 1120 and the communication interface 1110 are connected by the bus 1140 in fig. 11, the bus is represented by a thick line in fig. 11, and the connection manner between other components is merely illustrative and not limited. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 11, but this is not intended to represent only one bus or type of bus.
In the present embodiment, the processor 1120 can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, and can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic blocks disclosed in the present embodiment. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor or the like. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in a processor.
In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 1130 may be a non-volatile memory, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), and may also be a volatile memory (RAM), for example. The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to such. The memory in the embodiments of the present application may also be circuitry or any other device capable of performing a storage function for storing program instructions and/or data.
Fig. 12 shows a communication apparatus 1200 provided in this embodiment of the present application, where the communication apparatus 1200 may be a first network device, and is capable of implementing a function of the first network device in the method provided in this embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 1200 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting a terminal to implement the function of the first network device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1200 may be a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a hardware implementation, the communication module 902 may be a transceiver, and the transceiver is integrated in the communication apparatus 1200 to form the communication interface 1210.
The communication apparatus 1200 includes at least one processor 1220, which is used for implementing or supporting the communication apparatus 1200 to implement the function of the first network device in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. For example, the processor 1220 may determine the location of the terminal device according to the first message, which is specifically described in the detailed description of the method example and is not described herein again.
The communications apparatus 1200 can also include at least one memory 1230 for storing program instructions and/or data. Memory 1230 is coupled to processor 1220. The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or a communication connection between devices, units or modules, and may be an electrical, mechanical or other form for information interaction between the devices, units or modules. The processor 1220 may cooperate with the memory 1230. Processor 1220 may execute program instructions stored in memory 1230. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.
The communications apparatus 1200 can also include a communication interface 1210 for communicating with other devices over a transmission medium such that the apparatus used in the apparatus 1200 can communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device may be a terminal. The processor 1220 may transceive data using the communication interface 1210. The communication interface 1210 may specifically be a transceiver.
The specific connection medium among the communication interface 1210, the processor 1220 and the memory 1230 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In fig. 12, the memory 1230, the processor 1220 and the communication interface 1210 are connected by a bus 1240, the bus is represented by a thick line in fig. 12, and the connection manner among other components is only schematically illustrated and not limited. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 12, but this is not intended to represent only one bus or type of bus.
In the embodiments of the present application, the processor 1220 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic blocks disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor or the like. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in a processor.
In this embodiment, the memory 1230 may be a non-volatile memory, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), and may also be a volatile memory (RAM), for example. The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to such. The memory in the embodiments of the present application may also be circuitry or any other device capable of performing a storage function for storing program instructions and/or data.
Fig. 13 shows a communication apparatus 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application, where the communication apparatus 1300 may be a second network device, and is capable of implementing a function of the second network device in the method according to the embodiment of the present application; the communication apparatus 1300 may also be an apparatus capable of supporting the terminal to implement the function of the second network device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 may be a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
In a hardware implementation, the communication module 1002 may be a transceiver, and the transceiver is integrated in the communication device 1300 to form the communication interface 1310.
The communications apparatus 1300 includes at least one processor 1320 configured to implement or support the communications apparatus 1300 to implement the functions of the first network device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. For example, the processor 1320 may generate the first response message, which is described in detail in the method example and is not described herein again.
The communications apparatus 1300 can also include at least one memory 1330 for storing program instructions and/or data. A memory 1330 is coupled to the processor 1320. The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or a communication connection between devices, units or modules, and may be an electrical, mechanical or other form for information interaction between the devices, units or modules. The processor 1320 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1330. Processor 1320 may execute program instructions stored in memory 1330. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.
The communications apparatus 1300 may also include a communication interface 1310 for communicating with other devices over a transmission medium, such that the apparatus used in the apparatus 1300 may communicate with other devices. Illustratively, the other device may be a terminal. Processor 1320 may transceive data using communication interface 1310. The communication interface 1310 may specifically be a transceiver.
The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection medium among the communication interface 1310, the processor 1320, and the memory 1330. In fig. 13, the memory 1330, the processor 1320, and the communication interface 1310 are connected by a bus 1340, which is indicated by a thick line in fig. 13, and the connection manner among other components is only for illustrative purpose and is not limited thereto. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 13, but this is not intended to represent only one bus or type of bus.
In the embodiments of the present application, the processor 1320 may be a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, and may implement or perform the methods, steps, and logic blocks disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor or the like. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in a processor.
In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 1330 may be a non-volatile memory, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), and may also be a volatile memory (RAM), for example, a random-access memory (RAM). The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to such. The memory in the embodiments of the present application may also be circuitry or any other device capable of performing a storage function for storing program instructions and/or data.
The embodiment of the application also provides a communication device which can be a terminal or a circuit. The communication device may be configured to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above-described method embodiments.
When the communication apparatus is a terminal device, fig. 14 shows a schematic structural diagram of a simplified terminal device. For ease of understanding and illustration, in fig. 14, the terminal device is exemplified by a mobile phone. As shown in fig. 14, the terminal device includes a processor, a memory, a radio frequency circuit, an antenna, and an input-output device. The processor is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling the terminal equipment, executing software programs, processing data of the software programs and the like. The memory is used primarily for storing software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals and radio frequency signals and processing the radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as touch screens, display screens, keyboards, etc., are used primarily for receiving data input by a user and for outputting data to the user. It should be noted that some kinds of terminal devices may not have input/output devices.
When data needs to be sent, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs baseband signals to the radio frequency circuit, and the radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signals and sends the radio frequency signals to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal equipment, the radio frequency circuit receives radio frequency signals through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signals into baseband signals and outputs the baseband signals to the processor, and the processor converts the baseband signals into the data and processes the data. For ease of illustration, only one memory and processor are shown in FIG. 14. In an actual end device product, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device, etc. The memory may be provided independently of the processor, or may be integrated with the processor, which is not limited in this embodiment.
In the embodiment of the present application, the antenna and the radio frequency circuit having the transceiving function may be regarded as a transceiving unit of the terminal device, and the processor having the processing function may be regarded as a processing unit of the terminal device. As shown in fig. 14, the terminal device includes a transceiving unit 1410 and a processing unit 1420. A transceiver unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiving device, etc. A processing unit may also be referred to as a processor, a processing board, a processing module, a processing device, or the like. Alternatively, a device for implementing a receiving function in the transceiving unit 1410 may be regarded as a receiving unit, and a device for implementing a transmitting function in the transceiving unit 1410 may be regarded as a transmitting unit, that is, the transceiving unit 1410 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. A transceiver unit may also sometimes be referred to as a transceiver, transceiving circuitry, or the like. A receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, a receiving circuit, or the like. A transmitting unit may also sometimes be referred to as a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.
It should be understood that the transceiving unit 1410 is configured to perform the transmitting operation and the receiving operation on the terminal device side in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1420 is configured to perform other operations on the terminal device in the above method embodiments besides the transceiving operation.
For example, in one implementation, the transceiver unit 1410 is configured to perform the receiving operation at the terminal device side in step S32 and step S34 in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and/or the transceiver unit 1410 is further configured to perform other transceiving steps at the terminal device side in the embodiment of the present application. Processing unit 1420 is configured to execute step S33 in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, and/or processing unit 1420 is further configured to execute other processing steps on the terminal device side in the embodiment of the present application.
When the communication device is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit can be an input/output circuit and a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip.
When the communication device in this embodiment is a terminal device, reference may be made to the device shown in fig. 15. As an example, the device may perform functions similar to processor 1120 in FIG. 11. In fig. 15, the apparatus includes a processor 1510, a transmission data processor 1520, and a reception data processor 1530. The processing module 801 in the above embodiment may be the processor 1510 in fig. 15, and performs corresponding functions. The transceiver module 802 in the above embodiments may be the transmission data processor 1520 and/or the reception data processor 1530 in fig. 15. Although fig. 15 shows a channel encoder and a channel decoder, it is understood that these blocks are not limitative and only illustrative to the present embodiment.
Fig. 16 shows another form of the present embodiment. The processing device 1600 includes modules such as a modulation subsystem, a central processing subsystem, and peripheral subsystems. The communication device in this embodiment may serve as a modulation subsystem therein. In particular, the modulation subsystem may include a processor 1603 and an interface 1604. The processor 1603 performs the functions of the processing module 801, and the interface 1604 performs the functions of the communication module 802. As another variation, the modulation subsystem includes a memory 1606, a processor 1603 and a program stored on the memory 1606 and executable on the processor, and the processor 1603 implements the method on the terminal device side in the above method embodiment when executing the program. It should be noted that the memory 1606 may be non-volatile or volatile, and may be located within the modulation subsystem or within the processing device 1600, as long as the memory 1606 is connected to the processor 1603.
As another form of the present embodiment, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, perform the method on the terminal device side in the above-described method embodiments.
As another form of the present embodiment, there is provided a computer program product containing instructions that, when executed, perform the method on the terminal device side in the above-described method embodiments.
When the apparatus in this embodiment is an access network device, the access network device may be as shown in fig. 17, where the apparatus 1700 includes one or more radio frequency units, such as a Remote Radio Unit (RRU) 1710 and one or more baseband units (BBUs) (which may also be referred to as digital units, DUs) 1720. The RRU 1710 may be referred to as a communication module, which corresponds to the communication module 802 in fig. 8, and optionally may also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, which may include at least one antenna 1711 and a radio frequency unit 1712. The RRU 1710 is mainly used for transceiving radio frequency signals and converting the radio frequency signals and baseband signals, for example, for sending indication information to a terminal device. The BBU 1710 part is mainly used for performing baseband processing, controlling a base station, and the like. The RRU 1710 and the BBU 1720 may be physically disposed together or may be physically disposed separately, that is, a distributed base station.
The BBU 1720 is a control center of a base station, and may also be referred to as a processing module, and may correspond to the processing module 801 in fig. 8, and is mainly used for performing baseband processing functions, such as channel coding, multiplexing, modulation, spreading, and the like. For example, the BBU (processing module) may be configured to control the base station to perform an operation procedure related to the network device in the foregoing method embodiment, for example, to generate the foregoing indication information.
In an example, the BBU 1720 may be formed by one or more boards, and the boards may collectively support a radio access network of a single access system (e.g., an LTE network), or may respectively support radio access networks of different access systems (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The BBU 1720 also includes a memory 1721 and a processor 1722. The memory 1721 is used to store necessary instructions and data. The processor 1722 is used for controlling the base station to perform necessary actions, such as controlling the base station to perform the operation procedures of the above method embodiments with respect to the network device. The memory 1721 and processor 1722 may serve one or more boards. That is, the memory and processor may be provided separately on each board. Multiple boards may share the same memory and processor. In addition, each single board can be provided with necessary circuits.
A computer-readable storage medium including instructions, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method performed by the terminal device in any one of the embodiments in fig. 3.
Also provided in an embodiment of the present application is a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in any one of the embodiments of fig. 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Also provided in an embodiment of the present application is a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the second network device in any one of the embodiments of fig. 5, 6, or 7.
A computer program product is also provided in this embodiment of the present application, which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the terminal device in any one of the embodiments in fig. 3.
Also provided in an embodiment of the present application is a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the first network device in any one of the embodiments of fig. 4, 5, 6, or 7.
Also provided in an embodiment of the present application is a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method performed by the second network device in any of the embodiments of fig. 5, 6, or 7.
The embodiment of the application provides a chip system, which comprises a processor and a memory, and is used for realizing the functions of the terminal equipment in the method. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the function of the first network device in the foregoing method. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, where the chip system includes a processor and may further include a memory, and is configured to implement the function of the second network device in the foregoing method. The chip system may be formed by a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices.
The embodiment of the present application provides a system, where the system includes the aforementioned first network device or terminal device.
The embodiment of the application provides a system, which comprises the first network device and the second network device.
The method provided by the embodiment of the present application may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loaded and executed on a computer, cause the processes or functions described in accordance with the embodiments of the invention to occur, in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, a network appliance, a user device, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in, or transmitted from, a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, e.g., from one website, computer, server, or data center, over a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), for short) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) network, the computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device including one or more integrated servers, data centers, etc., the available medium may be magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical medium (e.g., digital video disc (digital video disc, DVD for short), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., SSD).
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the present application without departing from the scope of the application. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as well.

Claims (21)

1. A method of communication, comprising:
a first network device sends a first request message to a second network device, wherein the first request message comprises a positioning service switching indication and a positioning service indication, the positioning service switching indication is used for indicating that a switched terminal device is in a positioning service process, and the positioning service indication is used for indicating whether the second network device is used for positioning the terminal device;
the first network device receiving a first response message corresponding to the first request message from the second network device;
the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in an access network, the first network device sends a second request message to the second network device, and the second request message is used for acquiring capability information of the second network device;
the first network device receiving a second response message from the second network device, the second response message including capability information of the second network device, the capability information including a positioning mode supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device;
And the first network equipment determines whether to request to switch the positioning service of the terminal equipment to the second network equipment or not according to the second response message.
2. The method of claim 1,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to locate the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to refuse to position the terminal equipment and refuse to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in a core network.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first request message comprises a positioning context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a positioning server, wherein the positioning server is used for positioning the terminal device, and wherein the positioning context information is used for positioning the terminal device by the first network device;
The positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the first network device for positioning the terminal device;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the first network device when positioning the terminal device;
the terminal equipment reports a measurement result;
and the first network equipment is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the method further comprises:
and the first network equipment forwards the first response message to the terminal equipment.
5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
and the first network equipment forwards the first response message to the terminal equipment.
6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, and the assistance information is used for the second network device to locate the terminal device.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and wherein the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, and wherein the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and wherein the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, and wherein the assistance information is used by the second network device to locate the terminal device.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first response message is used for indicating that the terminal device is located by the second network device, and wherein the first response message further includes assistance information of the second network device, and wherein the assistance information is used for locating the terminal device by the second network device.
10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first response message is used to indicate that the second network device refuses to locate the terminal device but supports forwarding of the location message, and wherein the method further comprises:
The first network device receiving the positioning message from a second network device;
and the first network equipment positions the terminal equipment according to the positioning message.
11. A communications apparatus, comprising:
a communication module, configured to send a first request message to a second network device, where the first request message includes a positioning service switching instruction and a positioning service instruction, the positioning service switching instruction is used to indicate that a switched terminal device is performing a positioning service process, and the positioning service instruction is used to indicate whether to use the second network device to position the terminal device;
the communication module is further configured to receive a first response message corresponding to the first request message from the second network device;
the communication module is further configured to:
sending a second request message to the second network device, wherein the second request message is used for acquiring the capability information of the second network device;
receiving a second response message from the second network device, the second response message including capability information of the second network device, the capability information including a positioning manner supported by the second network device and/or a positioning accuracy supported by the second network device;
The device further comprises a processing module, wherein the processing module is used for determining whether the positioning service of the terminal equipment is required to be switched to the second network equipment or not according to the second response message;
the second network device is a network element with a positioning function in the access network.
12. The apparatus of claim 11,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to locate the terminal equipment; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating that the second network device refuses to position the terminal device, but supports forwarding of a positioning message, and the positioning message is used for determining the position of the terminal device; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used for indicating the second network equipment to refuse to position the terminal equipment and refuse to forward the positioning message; or the like, or, alternatively,
the first response message is used to instruct a third network device to locate the terminal device, where the third network device is a network element with a location function in a core network.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first request message comprises a positioning context of the terminal device and/or an identification of a positioning server, wherein the positioning server is configured to position the terminal device, and wherein the positioning context information is used by the communication apparatus to position the terminal device;
The positioning context includes at least one of the following information:
a positioning technology used by the communication device for positioning the terminal equipment;
the positioning accuracy required by the terminal equipment;
information used by the communication device when positioning the terminal equipment;
the terminal equipment reports a measurement result;
the communication device is used for positioning the terminal equipment.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein the communication module is further configured to:
and forwarding the first response message to the terminal equipment.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication module is further configured to:
and forwarding the first response message to the terminal equipment.
16. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first response message is used to indicate that the terminal device is located by the second network device,
the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used for the second network device to locate the terminal device.
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first response message is indicative of the terminal device being located by the second network device,
The first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used for the second network device to locate the terminal device.
18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first response message is indicative of the terminal device being located by the second network device,
the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used for the second network device to locate the terminal device.
19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first response message is indicative of the terminal device being located by the second network device,
the first response message further includes auxiliary information of the second network device, where the auxiliary information is used for the second network device to locate the terminal device.
20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first response message is configured to instruct the second network device to refuse to locate the terminal device but support forwarding of the location message, and wherein the communication module is further configured to:
Receiving the positioning message from a second network device;
and the processing module is also used for positioning the terminal equipment according to the positioning message.
21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1-10.
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